


Lost My Heart to the Sea

by LadyKnight33



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Alternate Universe - No Omnic Crisis, Current Overwatch Time, Family Dynamics, Implied Sexual Content, Little Mermaid Elements, M/M, Magical Realism, Merman Hanzo, Merperson Hanzo Shimada, Military Contractor Jesse McCree, Nudity, One-Sided Attraction, Politician Jack Morrison, Private Security Gabriel Reyes, Sensuality, Similar advancements in Technology, Sombra as Olivia, Surfer Jamison Fawkes, Will Warn in Pertaining Chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-09
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-03-02 20:08:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 30,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13325574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKnight33/pseuds/LadyKnight33
Summary: Jesse made the discovery of a lifetime. A real live merman. The challenges in protecting him and the pain of setting him free. No one ever mentioned falling in love with a different species was even possible.Avoiding humans was the one rule his family had and now Hanzo was stuck behind glass walls depending on one while he healed. He could only hope to find an escape once he was strong enough. His family needed him. The threat was still out there.





	1. Found on the Beach

**Author's Note:**

> Not polished by any means. Just throwing another Merman Hanzo fic into the waters. Updates will be sporadic. Really just needed to get this out of my system to focus on my other works. 
> 
> Anything Recognizable probably isn't mine. I'm just playing in the sandbox.

**Found on the Beach**

Snorkel, goggles and flippers hanging over his shoulder, Jesse walked through the sun drenched sand of the beach. It had been a day of swimming through the reefs with his friends. Just a good weekend out. He was waiting for Jamison to bring his jeep around so they load up their gear and head home. Or a bar. He didn’t care which right then. Jesse was just enjoying the sunset. 

A rusty orange dancing on the waves. Life couldn’t get any better than this.

“Jesse! Come on!” Olivia’s shrill yell pierced through the crashing waves. Better known by her online alias, Sombra, the software genius had a passion for surfing and diving.

“On my way!” Jesse turned away from the shoreline, but a glistening pile of jelly caught by the sun’s rays distracted him. It wasn’t the season for mass jellyfish intrusions. Nor was it even the right shape. It held a bluish tint that made him think of a dolphin or whale. It was definitely the right size. “Hang on. I want to check something out.” Just there was too much filmy covering for it to be either.

He approached it cautiously. If it was a mass of jellyfish, the last thing he wanted was to the stung. The whitish blue mass heaved in what Jesse could only call a gasp for breath. Now hurriedly, he flicked back what he had thought to be jelly, but moved more like gauzy fins. “Holy mother of— Olivia! Get Jamie and some help quick!”

Under the blue and white fish fins was the torso of a body. Pale and elongated. Just human enough to be creepy. Jesse frantically gazed along the creature’s body, searching for how this thing breathed. It had a mouth, but that did not seem to function as an airway. Flicking back the ropy black strands that protruded from the creature’s head, Jesse found the weakly pulsating sign of gills. They needed to get him into the water. Fast.

But what bothered Jesse the most was the crisscrossing gouges across the sea creature’s torso and tail. It had been in a massive battle. And lost. 

Discarding his equipment, Jesse gripped the humanoid under the armlike appendages. He wasn’t going to say it. But if this was indeed a mermaid then science had some explaining to do. The body of muscle thrashed abruptly. Jesse learned the hard way that there were spines hidden in that hair. Two long scratches formed on his chest. He winced but did not release his hold. “I’m trying to help. So just relax.” He really hoped those barbs did not have poison in them. Beyond that one massive heave, the rest of the fishlike man’s movements were weak. Jesse was able to drag the creature into the waves. 

“Crikey! What’s that!” Jamie announced his presence loudly. The Australian competitive surfer had come to the shores of Mexico to spend his off season with them.

“Don’t know. But its injured and has gills, so we need to get it somewhere safe so it can heal. Help me get him further into the waves.” Jesse explained the little bit he had pieced together. Jamie quickly splashed in and together they hauled the mermaid into the waves until it was fully submerged. There the filmy blue fins floated with the current, trailing beautifully from the injured body. The mermaid itself settled onto the sands, its gills gaping desperately for breath.

Olivia stood on the shores scowling. “I’ve called the aquarium for help. But they won’t be able to bring a tank large enough for this. Do you think they’d believe me if I said we had a mermaid?” There. Sombra had said it first. Now it wasn’t so crazy a thought. “If it was a whale or dolphins, then we could keep it moist on the trip to the aquarium.”

“I have a tank. We just need something to get it there.”

“What about your fish?” Jamie asked. They all knew about his massive reef aquarium. Between his adoptive parents and his own work, Jesse had a tank fit for a professional aquarium. It was as if he had taken a chunk of the ocean and plopped it in the middle of his house. Sombra claimed it was an expensive above ground pool with a shack around it. It was more than that, but Jesse had put more money into the tank than into the house.

“I can replace them if I need to. I’ll even regrow the reef if it bleaches. But this guy’s hurt and wouldn’t be on shore if it could find a safe place in the ocean. Now is there something we can transport him in.”

“Well…. If we wanted to vandalize a water truck maybe.”

“I mean something legal, Sombra.”

“Hey! I’m just thinking about the size. Let me get the aquarium on the phone again. Maybe they have something like that. It won’t really last long enough to get to Monterey or CetMar where their massive tanks are. But maybe…” Olivia immediately started to dial the local marine experts.

In the meantime, Jesse changed his grip on the scaly hide to where he held the creature’s five fingered webbed hand. The things’s eyes were closed and it floated listlessly in the waves. Even injured and possibly dying the mermaid was beautiful. All marine life was. But this was more profound.

“So, think it’s a mermaid or a merman. I’m leaning towards a guy. Doesn’t really have the shape of a woman.” Jamison chuckled.

“Can’t really tell. You know fish don’t follow what we think of as male or female.”

“True. But come on, look at him. The top half looks practically human. And that tells me he is more likely a man.”

“Only you would think that’s important.”

“You called him a he just a moment ago.”

“Alright fine.” Jesse gave up. “I called him a he. For the sake of ending this argument, he’s a merman. But what do you think did that to him? Those don’t look like propeller marks to me.”

“Couldn’t tell you, mate. Propellers would be more on his back, destroying the dorsal fin. These… Well they’re on his underbelly and arms.”

“And wounds like that tell me he was on the defensive from some sort of fight.” Jesse sighed. He was no stranger to fighting. Attacking the belly where armor and defenses were weakest was a long standing tactic. 

“Alright, so we got ourselves a truck.” Olivia announced brightly. She trucked her phone into the waterproof pocket of her wetsuit before waded into the water. The men were waist deep and by the time she reached them the waves were ready to push her over. “The scientists have contacted a potable water truck. They’re cutting a hole in the plastic and washing it out in preparation to fill it with seawater and this guy. So, you decided it was a guy right?”  
**

Jesse insisted on riding in the makeshift tank on wheels with one of the marine biologists along side the merman. Needless to say the community was stunned. They wanted to take the creature to one of their research facilities and study this new finding. The problem was getting a tank large enough, with the necessary filtration, to travel the distance. And with an injured creature, they had no way of knowing if it would survive. Jesse was only a hobbyist but he did have a tank that met their standards. At least until they could get their equipment together.

That wasn’t such a thrilling thought for Jesse. He didn’t want this beautiful creature to be locked up in some research lab to be studied. He wanted the creature to heal so they could return it. Not that he really wanted to. But keeping beasts like whales and dolphins trapped behind glass felt wrong. He knew keeping fish made him seem like a hypocrite, but his tank was mainly a showcase for the reef he had been growing for years. It was only sparsely populated with fish, just enough to help maintain the environment.

Upon arriving to his place, he had to leave the merman in order to prepare the entrance and the aquarium. He was alone right now. Sharing the house with his friends on vacation. His parents had their own place. But they were definitely coming to visit once they learned of this. In fact the speed which reporters and photographers flocked to the transport was nothing short of amazing. They even had a police escort. And to barricade his private entrance from their intrusion. Good thing the tank was not visible from the outside.

Jamie went to retract the roof. A telescoping metal roof that he could retract as desired for sun or shelter. Or to simply keep out the seagulls. He had created an upper deck as if the tank was merely a saltwater pool. Except that it was three stories deep with broad shelfs for the reef to grow on.

Returning to the water truck just as the crane started to pull up the canvas under the creature. It started thrashing wildly, having rested during the short half hour trip. Jesse scrambled up to the opening. As if his voice or touch would do anything, he reached out for the webbed hand he had held while at the shore. “Shh. Relax. We’re just moving you to a larger tank so you can rest.” By magic the merman stopped thrashing. He took a few deep gasps while still below the surface. Then Jesse saw something wonderful. And terrifying. The merman opened his eyes to look directly at Jesse. Large black eyes flecked with gold filled with fear locked on to him. He swore he saw the merman nod ever so briefly. As if the creature understood. It didn’t seem logical. “Okay. You can start lifting now.” 

Jesse didn’t break eye contact. The merman held still as he broke the surface. The gill still flailed for air, his limbs and tail flexed involuntarily as they temporarily strangled the magnificent creature by lifting him through the air. A couple of scientists were already in the tank ready to guide the canvas down. Jesse did have to loose contact with the merman as he dropped from the decking into the water to join the scientists. Once back in the water instinct took over and the merman started to thrash, splashing water everywhere. They just kept lowering the canvas until the creature was fully submerged. The merman stilled, gasping in the water through its gills. Desperate for breath. Jesse couldn’t blame the creature. The fear in the too human eyes resonated with all who saw it.

When they finally unhooked one end of the canvas to allow the majestic fish humanoid to take free reign in the water, the merman slowly sank to the bottom. Blue fins fluttering on the way down, only small flicks of the tail or guiding hand indicated the merman was at all in control of his descent. There it closed its eyes and rested listless at the deepest portion of the tank.

“Alright. He’s here. We’ll discuss who comes back later. In the morning. Right now, I think we all need some sleep.” Jesse announced. He got push back, complaints, ultimatums. “My house remember. I’m not going to keep you out, but I sleep here. And I don’t want it to be overrun by you lot. Or the government.” He looked pointedly at the police. “Let him rest for the night. It’s what you would want if you washed up injured on a foreign shore.”

Being a wealthy private citizen did have a way of getting them off his property. The sun was officially gone from the horizon and everyone had a long day. Though this was exciting, in order to do the best they could for this mythological creature come to life, everyone needed to be well rested. Jesse shoed them out while Olivia and Jamie closed the canopy. This was going to be a bit of a nightmare as news spread.

“I got it all on video!” Sombra chirped when Jesse finally entered the house.

“Please tell me you didn’t share it.”

“Didn’t need to. But I thought you might like to review it. Or the biologists.” Olivia brought up the footage on her phone. She started playing at the part where the merman opened his eyes. Jesse hadn’t even known the woman had been right behind his shoulder. “He looks so human like that.”

“I know. It’s scary.” Jesse sighed. “You know the drill, make yourselves at home. I… I got to call my dads.” Jesse winced. He was not looking forward to that conversation.

“Hey, Jesse! Before you do, come check it out!” Jamie called from downstairs. He had set up his bed in the lowest sitting room. Sombra took the bedroom on the top so she could have a private bath. Jesse’s was in the middle because in his opinion it gave him the best view of the tank.

Both Olivia and Jesse trotted down the stairs to investigate. They found the merman slowly stretching along the bottom of the tank. The sandy substrate burst into small plumes which each hand placement. “What do you think it eats?” Olivia asked.

“Well, he can have anything in there as far as I’m concerned. I’m going to guess it can eat anything judging by his teeth.” Jesse shrugged. “But if he isn’t strong enough to catch healthy fish, guess I’ll have to get something else.” Even as they discussed the creature’s feeding habits one of the merman’s hands found a crab. They all watched in fascination as the merman snapped the crab in half before picking through the flesh with his fingers. “Well, that’s a start.” Jesse said in surprise. They lingered for a few moments before Jamie started to yawn. Spending the entire day at the beach followed by this excitement was bound to tire even the irrepressible Jamison Fawkes. They each went their separate ways to sleep.

Jesse sent off a message to his adoptive parents, Gabriel and Jack. He was certain they would hear of this before long and wanted to try and beat the news rush. *Hey, don’t know if you’re awake, but I just got involved in something big. Wanted to talk to you about it before you saw the news. Nothing illegal. Promise. It’s been a long day so if I don’t respond back, I’m probably asleep.*

Five minutes later, just enough time for Jesse to lean back and close his eyes his phone began to ring. Groaning he answered it. “Hey.”

“What do you mean something big,” his dad, Gabriel, answered. His dark face filled the video feed of the hologram.

“Uh… How to explain this without sounding like an idiot. After spending the day on the water with Jamie and Olivia, I found this giant fish thing. Only it looked human. Um, I think Olivia sent me the pictures. Here,” he tossed the files into the feed so his dad could see the pictures. “The news outlets will probably call it a mermaid or some such thing. We got the biologists here desperate to study it. But we couldn’t get an injured fish safely to one of their facilities so we’re using my tank.”

Gabriel frowned. Must be looking at the pictures. Probably coming across the one with the terrified eyes. “Your father and I will be coming down by tomorrow afternoon.”

“Look, I can handle it.”

“I know, kid. But sometimes reinforcements aren’t a bad thing. Besides, Jack knows the Mexican President. He’ll be great at keeping people off your property.”

“I’d rather set up barricades with heavy guns.” Both Gabriel and Jesse got most of their wealth by way of military contracting. His dads weren’t thrilled that Jesse wanted to go into that line of work, but they couldn’t really stop him. They were just glad he came out alive. The rest of it was through shrewd investing. Jack had been an honored soldier turned politician. 

“And don’t discount our own curiosity.”

Jesse grimaced though his dad knew it was only for show. “Alright, but you’re sharing a space with Jamie. ‘Cause I know Olivia won’t give up the guest room.”

“We can make do.”

“Alright. I look forward to seeing you wade through the swamp of gawkers. But I’m going to bed now. It’s been a long day.”

**

“Breakfast time!” Jamie’s voice ricocheted from the intercom. The living space was right next to the kitchen on the ground floor. “Got eggs and bacon cooking so you’d better hurry.” Jesse rolled out of bed and pulled on a bathrobe. He felt as if he hadn’t slept at all. Sombra looked even worse. In sweats and a tshirt, she needed her morning coffee. Only Jamie seemed to be a morning person around here.

While they ate, the merman started to investigate the bottom of the tank. He was still mostly crawling around and using his hands. Jesse wondered what they could do to ease any pain the creature must be feeling from those awful gashes. And he was probably hungry. Jesse didn’t have any feeder fish available. 

In the midst of breakfast the outside intercom rang. Jesse went to answer it. Marine Biologists. “We’re in the middle of eating. You can wait thirty minutes. And I hope you brought something for him to eat because aside from the one crab he ate last night I don’t think he can catch anything else I got.” That shut them up for a little while.

He let five biologists in. Two immediately donned their scuba gear and dropped into the tank. One at least had a selection of fresh fish and various seaweed. Almost immediately the merman scrambled away into the farthest corner of the tank. Not that it did him any good as the divers kept approaching. The merman was tensed up and ready to strike out should the divers press into his personal space. Jesse got on their radio and yelled. “Stop! Stop! Can’t ya see he’s terrified of ya! That getup is terrifying to normal people, just imagine crowding an injured bull with that stuff. He’d gut ya. Just drop the food and get out. Do your studying from outside the tank. Jeeze… I know it’s supposedly the discovery of a lifetime, but damn. Leave him alone.” They did eventually do as demanded. Not that Jesse was very pleased with any of their behavior.

The merman eventually settled down once the divers were out of the water and investigated the food. He settled on a couple of the large bass. They did bring a lot. Thankfully most of it was on ice and this was only a small sampling. He ate with his back towards them, dropped the carcasses near a bed of crabs and promptly swam to the farthest side from the living room to settle. No one seemed happy by the time Jesse kicked them out for the night.

Not the merman. Not the biologists. Not Jesse nor his friends. Only the arrival of his parents settled the matter of the scientist’s departure. Jack Morrison’s small contingent of bodyguards and assistants muscled the men and women out. Gabriel Reyes made sure they took all their equipment with them.

“You don’t have to come bail me out every time, dad,” Jesse grumbled as the graying blond soldier setup in the kitchen.

“I’m not trying to bail you out, son. But this thing has gone international and everyone could use a bit of help then. The Presidents of both Mexico and the U.S. want to visit. I told them it would be better to have the creature in good health. That and we wanted to be sure the house and surrounding land was free of trespassers. We won’t be here any longer than necessary.” Jack clapped Jesse on the back. He was probably the only one that hadn’t strained his neck to try and get a glimpse of the merman.

Or Gabriel. The dark skinned man glanced at the tank then set up his own bit of business. It was now just the five of them in the house. Sombra with her camera. Jamie sitting on the decks to catch the last few rays of sun. Gabriel somewhere outside. And the two of them in the kitchen. It might not be the situation Jesse wanted, but in a weird way it was nice to have his family together.

“Since you’re here, maybe you could help me and Jamie. I wanted to get a cave or house thing set up in the tank for him. Seeing as how most creatures like to hide when they’re not feeling well. And I got to go in and get the remains of the food the biologists brought.” Jesse glanced over to the tank wall and saw the merman hesitantly start to explore the reef again.

“Sure thing. I’ll ask Gabe when he comes in from setting up your new security system.”

“Come on! It’s not that bad.”

“Jesse, you have the first ever humanoid sea creature in your fish tank. It is that bad. Give me some time and I’ll convince the press that you’ve moved it to a research center. I’m sorry it feels like we’re intruding, but I don’t want you stuck in the middle of this should the protests start. And you know they will. Disbelievers. Those who want you to return it immediately. Those that want to see it personally. They’ll all come. No, Olivia didn’t leak the pictures.” Jack stopped that line of thinking before it even started. “But you had a crowd of people helping you move it. They had phones too. So the pictures are out there.”

“Fine. You know where the blowup mattress is. If you get it set up, you and Gabe can use my room.” Jesse relented.

“Nonsense. Gabe brought his own blowup mattress. We’ll be setting up a divider in the living room. At least for the next couple of days. Then we’ll head to a hotel. Just to make sure things settle down.”

“There’s a headline for you. California Senator Sleeps on the Floor.”

“I’ve had that headline. Though that was on the floor of the Senate during a filibusterer. For some reason they don’t think me sleeping on the floor of my son’s house is all that important.” Jesse chuckled. Jack always knew how to make the best out of the worst. “Go clean up the tank. I’ll handle dinner here. I don’t trust Jamison with anything here.”

Jesse ran up the stairs. 

“Yo, mate! Where’s the fire?” Jamie was in the process of closing the roof.

“Just got to clean up the debris before dinner. Don’t worry, my father’s cooking.”

“Then I gotta get down there. He’ll have us eating the most tasteless junk in the fridge.” It was Jamie’s turn to run to get cleaned up. 

This left Jesse alone to gather his equipment and diving gear. He didn’t bother with the full wetsuit. Just the goggles, oxygen tank and flippers. The straps on the tank would irritate him, but after the fright the scientists gave the merman, Jesse thought this was the better end of the deal. He had two fresh tuna in one bag and a net to collect anything that didn’t belong. He fed these creatures enough.

Geared up, Jesse plunged back into the water, tank leading the way. As expected, the merman stopped exploring and huddled back against the wall and the glass. Jesse held his hands wide, trying to show that he didn’t mean any harm. This was the first time he had been in the tank with the merman. He kept his movements slow and deliberate. When he was closer he removed the gutted tuna and gave them a push so they could float towards the creature. Immediately he took the net and backed away. He had other dead fish and seaweed to remove from the tank.

Since he was ignoring the merman, the creature reached out and took the tuna. Though every time Jesse caught a glance at the reflection it seemed the creature was watching him. Jesse went about his business of capturing the carcasses and other debris that didn’t belong. He was surprised to find the tuna carcasses float up beside him for him to remove. When he looked for the merman, the creature was already crawling back to the corner of the tank.


	2. Wading into the Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two different species investigate each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mention: Nudity and Sexual interpretation of non sexual touch.
> 
> Another unpolished update to clear my head. Enjoy.

**Chapter Two: Wading into the Water**

They forbade any visitors the next day. Gabriel had procured a metal shed that they were now washing. Jack found the crane operator and got him to return so they could place the new tank ornament. Jesse and Jamie had cut ventilation holes so the water current wouldn’t stagnate. They also polished it down so none of the fish would cut themselves on it. They removed the doors. Though it kind of looked like a giant doghouse, it was better than nothing.

Then came the operation of placing the shed. Olivia and Jesse were in the water with their scuba gear as they were the experienced divers. Jamie, Gabe and Jack helped steady the small building on the decks. Below them the merman watched the curiously, but stayed clear away from them. Jesse knew he was risking the health of his reef, but it was more important to give this strange and wonderful creature a chance.

Settling the shed so it the opening was barely viewable from the interior of the house, Jesse motioned to Olivia for them to leave and let the merman explore in peace. 

By the time they had all cleaned up and returned inside, the merman had discovered the shelter the new addition provided and seemed to settle within. That made Jesse happy. Over the next couple of days the merman ate and rested. He still moved around the tank by crawling the majority of the time. Every flick of his tail caused a grimace. It was Jamie’s observation that perhaps there were broken bones. But the only way to find out was to invite the marine biologists back in and let them run their tests. Olivia’s cameras were the only resource given to the biologists. Because of Jack’s presence in the the house they were able to keep the researchers out. 

Jesse hesitated with the possibility. Jack gave them an alternative. “Here.” The politician wrote a number down and tacked it to Jesse’s fridge. “That’s for a scientist I respect and I think will treat you and that creature humanely. I’ll ask her to get in touch with the biologists to find out what information they require. When you’re ready, give her a call. She can be the only one you deal with.”

That was probably the biggest relief his father could have given him.

After that things around the house were cleaned up for a state visit. Jesse wasn’t really pleased. He had met both presidents before and didn’t like either one of them. But it was quick. A photoshoot with a merman hiding in the background. Then the announcement that the creature would be shipped to Monterey Bay’s research facility as CetMar agreed its set up was better suited for the study of a new species. 

There was this huge smoke and mirrors game two days after of them pretending to move the merman in a massive truck. Done at night. With very little viewed from the street. The scientists made a fuss the whole time about how they should be allowed to actually move the merman. How they needed to study it. It was only by Mexican Presidential mandate that kept them on task in the masquerade. Somehow Jack had appealed to both Presidents in giving the merman more time to heal before any actual transport was done. They all wanted the sea creature alive at the end of the move and as it looked now, no one really thought the merman could handle a long distance road trip. The entire time the men and women from the aquarium were present, the merman huddled within the manmade cave. Jesse was certain that if the merman had been in better health then the divers who tried to take a peek would have suffered greatly.

Then the crowds followed the trail of news reports. Things were kept quiet after that. As much as having a big name Senator for a father annoyed Jesse, times like these made him grateful to have such a man truly care. That and dinner time. The small town farmer knew how to cook. Also he and Jamison never agreed on anything so their arguments turned into nightly entertainment. Enough that their bickering even drew the attention of their guest in the aquarium.

Gabe nudged Jesse from where they both watched the argument about how to cook broccoli. Jack wanting to roast them and Jamie wanting to steam them. “Take a look.” Sure enough the fluttering blue fins of the sea creature filled the expanse of the aquarium viewable from the kitchen. Jesse had made sure that every room in the house, save bathrooms, had a unhindered view of his masterpiece. The merman had emerged from his house and was watching them curiously.

The creature’s pinched brow and narrowed eyes broke Jesse. His laughter surged through the house causing everyone to stop in their tracks. It felt good to laugh after all the stress he had been under dealing with the press and the scientists and the government. He still had those to look forward to, but right now it was just his family and friends and their quizzical guest not sure what to make of them.

“Well, that’s it,” Sombra glanced up from where she was reviewing the day’s video of the merman’s antics. “It’s your turn to fix him, Gabe. I did it last time and that’s how we ended up on the beach finding that guy.” She motioned over her shoulder to the merman.

“Oh he’ll be fine.” Gabriel clapped him on the back hard enough to make Jesse start coughing. “It’s been an insane couple of weeks. Everyone handles stress differently.”

“That’s great and all, but I don’t see what’s so funny,” Jamie turned away from dinner preparations. “OOOH! That merman really knows how to sneak up on you,” he noticed the new addition to their kitchen audience. In the distraction, Jack took the broccoli and finished his prep work to shove the pan into the oven before the surfer even noticed. By the time Jamison turned around, the entire room erupted into uncontrolled laughter. “Alright, old man, that’s the last straw. You can have your roasted broccoli, but I’m taking over the barbie.” And a whole new argument started. Both men were very particular about how they cooked barbecue. There never was a dull moment at mealtimes. 

Jack and Gabriel stayed another few days, but in their own hotel room. Jamie had to return to Australia. And Olivia had her job to return to. Though she still popped in for the weekends. After a month of craziness, Jesse was able to return to his normal routine. With one extra fish to feed. He hadn’t bothered to call the scientist yet. He still donned his diving gear to hand deliver the fish to the merman. It bothered him that he couldn’t do anything about the pain the creature had to feel every time he moved that gashed up tail. But he could at least give him less work to do. Now he had daily clean up of the tank in addition to testing the waters for hazardous waste products. 

One of those times the blue face gazed up at him from just below the surface. Black eyes broken by the waves but filled with obvious curiosity. “Just testing the waters. You and those other critters produce enough waste that it might stress the poor reef. This isn’t as big as the ocean so I got to help it along so the waters stay clean enough for you to breathe right.” As strange as it was for the sea creature to behave as if he understood Jesse, it was easier. The answer seemed to satisfy the merman and he drifted back to the sandy bottom. It was amazing that the creature had gone through the effort to swim up to the surface in the first place.

Then one night Jesse sat in one of the overstuffed chairs by the tank and watched the merman increase his swimming ability. It was amazing how quickly the creature recovered given uninterrupted rest. The gashes were healing. Olivia had pointed out the silver scars developing. The merman only used the shed sparingly now that the gawking scientists had left.

“What are you…” Jesse asked aloud the question that had been in his brain since the moment he saw the blue jelly. “And what happened.” He stood and placed his hand against the cool glass just marveling at the merman’s incredible form and beauty. After a few moments the merman noticed him and swam over. The massive tail flicking in slow graceful movements. He placed his bluish white webbed hand against the glass directly over Jesse’s. It was the first time the merman had tried to initiate any sort of contact. 

The too human eyes seemed to ask the very same questions as they stared into Jesse’s. A gut instinct jolted Jesse into moving. He glanced up to the surface and the merman’s eyes followed. Something otherworldly told him to get in there and try to continue their conversation without the glass barrier.

He quickly moved through the house and turned off all the cameras Olivia had set up. He’d get an earful from both her and the researchers, but Jesse didn’t want his privacy intruded upon any more. He changed into his swim shorts and donned his diving gear, forgoing once again the whole wetsuit.

Diving down to where the merman waited, watching, Jesse wondered what on earth he was doing. They couldn’t communicate. Which is what they should have been trying to do in the first place. The merman was now used to Jesse’s intrusions into the water. Usually to clean it. The merman typically stayed away during those dives. Now he swam close, bridging the distance first. Jesse held still as best he could. Letting the creature do the studying for a change.

Cautious webbed hands reached out and touched his skin. They were silky smooth. Nothing like seal skin or fish scales. More akin to the velvety feel of rays, but thinner. The hands went everywhere. Along his arms, across his chest. Then to the swim shorts. The merman seemed confused for a moment as the texture between skin and cloth changed. When a hand found his leg and followed it up to discover that the shorts were separate pieces, Jesse got ticklish. He squirmed away, startling the merman. But the creature came back, a look of intense scrutiny forming on his all too human face. He maneuvered a soft finger into the waist band of the swimming trunks and marveled at the elastic band. The creature must have some idea that these clothing were changeable as he no doubt saw the humans in all varieties. And Jesse in different ones frequently. Then the merman pulled. 

Obviously the merman didn’t wear clothing. He wanted to see a human without clothing. If that concept was something it understood. Jesse sighed, releasing a massive stream of bubbles from his mouth piece. He relented and helped remove his shorts. At least all his doors were locked. Swimming nude in his aquarium was not something he had ever considered. Skinny dipping just wasn’t his thing. But the merman had tolerated their investigation. It was only fair to let him investigate. Jesse removed his flippers so the shorts could come all the way off, showing to the merman that they were indeed vastly different. Letting his shorts float away, Jesse replaced the flippers so he could stay aloft in the water. 

Then the cool velvety touch began again. Every sensitive inch of skin. Jesse closed his eyes and moaned at the delicate fingers brushing along his inner thigh and along the tuffs of hair in his groin. He knew those protrusions of flesh looked odd on an otherwise streamlined body. But he was born this way and adapted. One gentle stroke along his shaft and Jesse melted. He stopped moving and slowly started to sink.

Being naked, within his own aquarium, being touched by a mythological creature shouldn’t be erotic. But boy if it didn’t tick off boxes Jesse never knew he had.

The touch vanished as Jesse sank. He saw concern in the deep black eyes. Struggling to regain control of his mind and body, Jesse kicked his legs to swim back into place before the merman. He flushed in embarrassment. They weren’t even the same species. Of course they wouldn’t feel the same sort of emotions. The creature just wanted to learn about where he was and who had him.

But then he caught an undeniable smirk on the creature’s humanoid face. Great. The thing knew exactly what was going on inside Jesse. That made the human blush further. The merman reached out again, asking without words if it was alright to start his investigation again. Jesse didn’t know what else the creature needed to feel to be satisfied, but Jesse nodded. The webbed hand started lower, but safer on his hip.

Moving around to the back, the merman started to probe at the oxygen tank. Its curious fingers tugging at straps and a small twist of the nobs, nothing to disrupt the flow of oxygen to Jesse’s mouth piece. But when the creature came back around and tugged at the mouthpiece, Jesse placed a gentle hand over the webbed on and shook his head. He pointed to the mouthpiece then tentatively reached out to point to the merman’s gills. The creature narrowed his eyes and glanced between the apparatus and the out stretched hand as if trying to put together the meaning. After a few moments the merman’s face cleared of confusion and he nodded.

Then he did something Jesse didn’t expect. The merman backed off and opened his arms, floating before Jesse, almost inviting him to give the same scrutiny he had given the human. It was a wondrous offer considering how the previous humans had poked at the poor creature. Cautiously Jesse swam forward. He had marveled at the flowing fins, the strong tail, the serrated teeth. All from behind the glass. He kept his touch minimal and respectful.

Taking a hand he relished the silky smooth velvet, but he had noticed harder protrusions along the knuckles. Sure enough there were barbs under the skin, waiting to be used for hunting or defense. The gauzy shimmering blue fins seemed useless to a hunter. Jesse had thought the creature to be more sharklike given the nature of its teeth and its size. To be that large, usually meant being on the top of the food chain. The merman was easily eight feet in length, counting only the fleshy head to tail. With the rippling fins the creature must have topped out at ten feet. Not that anyone had made measurements. 

Jesse kicked his legs to swim up to investigate the thick black hair. At least what he called hair. That’s where he had the encounter with the barbs. Sure enough seven barbs were hidden within the ropy strands. The positioning meant they were more defensive than to assist in hunting. More like a lion fish. Tracing the faint scars from the first encounter, Jesse swam back. To the respectable distance. He didn’t need to touch every inch to know that the creature before him was impressive and dangerous. But also beautiful and majestic. Jesse had his tank because he could admire fish from afar. He didn’t need to know the details of how a fish worked. He was just a hobbyist.

Taking his next breath made him frown. His tank was getting low. He’d get them all refilled in the morning. He pointed to the surface and started rising. Snatching his shorts along the way. He had to pause before breaking the surface to go through the task of putting them back on. He saw the creature follow him up. 

Breaking the surface, Jesse removed the mouthpiece and his goggles. He treaded water to see if the merman would join him. He wasn’t disappointed. The curious creature poked his head, eyes only, above the surface. They were so human in how expressive they were. Fascination was clearly read in every line on the humanoid’s face. The inquisitive touch returned. Out of the water the skin felt more silky than velvet. It amazed Jesse how the two textures changed. Jesse patiently waited as the fingers ran along his jawline, over his lips, across his nose and closed eyes. Then into his hair. It was not floaty like within the water. It was sticky and wet from the saltwater. 

Then the hand stayed on his temple. Right next to his right eye. Jesse watched in confusion as the merman’s face scrunched in concentration. Sudden a burst of imagines of the blue and white merman glittering in the wilds filled his mind. Fast swimming, playful among the dolphins, hunting within schools of silver finned fish. And one clear word. Hanzo.

Jesse forgot how to swim.

He sputtered when he dipped below the artificial waves. 

“What was that!” He gasped. If he had doubted the intelligence of this creature before, this blew any doubts out of the water. The merman, Hanzo, was clearly capable of communication and thought. Far beyond human ability.

The hand returned to his head and Hanzo’s face creased again in concentration. Then an image of Hanzo with an equally beautiful if smaller glowing green finned merman flashed across Jesse’s mind. With a clear sense of communicating between the two. Telepathy. That’s the word humans had for this nonverbal form of speech. It might not be accurate, but that was what he would be calling it now. Not that anyone would believe him.

He didn’t know if it was fear or wonder in his eyes, but Hanzo backed off. Obviously concerned about what his form of communication had done to the human. Jesse swam for the dock. Where he deposited his scuba gear and then just sat on the decking, letting his feet dangle in the water. It was a warm night.

Once Hanzo saw that Jesse wasn’t going anywhere, he swam forward, barely leaving a wake behind. He touched Jesse’s leg as soon as he was close enough, but left his hand there. The concern stayed on his face though. At least the eyes.

“I’m going to admit that that was weird. All of it. So you all talk by way of telepathy. That’s great. So how is it you understand me. Obviously we speak different languages.”

Images filled his mind. The day at the beach. It was fuzzy but Hanzo managed to convey that he understood Jesse’s intention and tone of voice. That Jesse’s thoughts bleed through the painful haze when they touched. That explained the way Hanzo had calmed during transport. And somehow Hanzo could relay his form of communication through touch. So magic or science? Did it even matter? 

“Right…” Jesse brushed back his hair. He needed a shower. The salt was sticking to him and making him feel gross. “Well… Let’s start over. Hanzo… nice to meet you. I’m Jesse. Sorry for all the commotion. But well, we’ve never seen one of your kind before. Probably for the best considering how we treated you. Most of that is over for now. Don’t get me wrong, they want to study you. But we convinced them that the stress of moving you somewhere else might very well kill you. And I was sick of my house being overrun with scientists. They are very rude if you ask me.”

A general sense of agreement followed. Jesse chuckled. 

“Yeah. So, there is one scientist who might be coming. My father recommended her. And that’s just to check on your health. As best she can. And Olivia, the girl with me when we found you, she will stop by on the weekends. Don’t worry, both of them will look but not touch. So… about that… are you doing alright? Do you need something else?”

A pause. Then shake of the merman’s head. Jesse got the images of the fresh fish he had been given Hanzo and the sense that the merman could use double that for the next short while. Hanzo then looked around the surface of the tank and his shoulder sagged in what could only be a reluctant sigh.

“Hey… I’m not going to keep you here longer than you need.” Jesse protested. “But whatever did that to you, leaving you half dead on the beach… I didn’t want to push you back out and let you die to some sea bully. You might be fast and strong, but I bet the reef sharks would have torn you to shreds if you had gone back in the state you were in.”

Reluctant agreement followed. Also the sense that Hanzo was not at his peak. Though the external gashes were healing into the glittering silver scars, Hanzo admitted in his visual way that he still felt injured and weak. Not strong enough to find his family.

“So you swim in a school? Or do you call it a pod?”

Jesse was given a wrinkled nose of disgust with both words. He reiterated the sensation of family.

“Alright. Family.” Jesse grinned. “Well, I’ll make sure you return. I might not be much help below the surface but I promise to get you back.” Jesse yawned. It had been a day. “I got to go out in the morning and fill my oxygen tanks.” Jesse explained, hoping something of his thoughts and intentions were conveyed through the strange telepathy Hanzo had. “I won’t be able to hand deliver breakfast like I have been. I’ll leave them in the bag here by the dock on my way out. Sorry I can’t keep you company all day. Just let me know when you don’t need the fresh fish and want to hunt your own. Not that trapping something in a glass tank is really hunting.” Hanzo nodded. “Then night… I’ll see you downstairs.” Jesse waved before drawing himself completely out of the water.

That topped Jesse’s list as the strangest encounter he had ever had. But that was alright. He had something go on now besides guesswork. And though Hanzo was not happy with his current situation at least he wasn’t furious with Jesse for forcing the confinement on him. And he would know when the merman would be ready to leave. They could avoid dealing with the scientists and the possibility of them attempting to steal Hanzo away for their research. A bizarre night, but an accomplished one.


	3. Sea Monkeys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little chaos and a lot of swimming. And we meet someone new.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I needed to take a break from my scheming with my other epics, so I took a trip to the aquarium. Again not really polished.

**Chapter Three: Sea Monkeys**

“-truder alert. Jesse McCree, wake up. Several men have breached your security.” The polite yet insistent voice of Athena, the artificial intelligence Reyes had monitoring the cameras and motion sensors around the house, vocally prodded Jesse into a groggy state. “Jesse McCree, they are approaching the aquarium entrance with a large piece of equipment.”

“Shit!” That forced his body into high alert. He grabbed the revolver and a clip of bullets from his nightstand drawer. It was loaded before he exited the bedroom. Bare feet slapped against the wood floors as he ran up the stairs. Jesse didn’t care that he was clad only in a pair of white boxers. All that mattered was getting to the aquarium before the intruders got to Hanzo. Even if the merman was feeling better, a fight with nets and overeager scientists might set his healing back. Not to mention that Jesse could loose him by theft. The glass container did not give any exit routes for that magnificent creature. 

A splash told him he was bordering on too late. In the artificial moonlight within the aquarium, Jesse saw a diver in a black wetsuit orienting herself to swim towards the metal shed. Jesse didn’t look to hard to find Hanzo. It was enough to know that the merman was still present as the diver had just entered. 

The outside door slammed open. Jesse’s revolver leading the way. He took perverse pleasure in the startled looks on the men crowding the deck. “Get out of my house.” He kept his voice calm but dark and forceful. The same voice used when ordering men on the battlefield. The civilians looked nervously between each other. “ _Largate!_ ” Yelling at them in Spanish made one jump, packing the equipment next to him.

“You can’t keep this to yourself,” one of the three scientists standing their ground spoke up. He actually sounded British. “This find is revolutionary in terms of biology and evolution. It needs to be studied beyond the limited videos provided.”

“We had a deal, partner. This guy heals up here in peace and quiet and you folks get the videos to observe his behavior.” Jesse clicked the hammer back as the final warning. “This here is private property. You are trespassing. Athena, get good photos of them and their vehicles and send it to the police.”

“You can’t!”

“You bet your ass I can. Private property, partner. Now pack up your stuff and get your guy out of my tank. Get out of my house and off my land voluntarily and I might not press charges.” Jesse kept his revolver trained on the British fellow as he seemed to be in charge. The man who had responded to the Spanish already had his equipment shouldered and was trotting as quickly as he could down the exterior steps. Must be local.

Athena’s light voice announced, “The police have been notified and the pertinent images have been sent. They estimate arrival in ten minutes.” The diver surfaced and was climbing the ladder just in time to hear this. That got her moving much more quickly. Once the diver was out, the rest scurried to pack and depart. It would have been hilarious to watch if Jesse hadn’t been deadly serious. They didn’t know he would hold fire unless they attacked him. All they saw was a pissed off man with a gun pointed in their direction.

“We will be demanding better access to this creature.” The British man said as he opened the gate to the exterior stairs.

“You do that. See where that gets ya.” Then the scientists were stomping down the steps. Car doors slammed. The electric engines did not make much of a sound, but the tires on dirt and pavement did. McCree sighed heavily, letting his head hang low on his chest. Drawing his weapon on civilians had never been part of his job. He could officially say that he hated the prospect. Opening the cylinder and clicking the safety back into place, Jesse dropped to the decking. He still had the speed loader in hand. Might as well unload the gun while he waited for the police. Jesse made a point of not keeping loaded weapons in his house. They were part of his job and he preferred to keep them separate from his private life. Aside from this revolver all other weapons were locked away.

As he was placing the gun onto the deck, Jesse noticed a pair of dark eyes poked above the rippling water. The gold flecks seem so much larger. Not from fear this time. Jesse wondered if this was an adaptation to the dark. He sighed again as he realized Hanzo needed to know things were going to be fine. At least Jesse hoped they were. “Ya alright?” The merman gave a short sharp nod to say it was. “Good.” That was one thing that seemed to be right in the world. Hanzo glided closer, barely disturbing the water. What he must think of Jesse now? At the moment he didn’t place his limbs in the water to initiate the strange telepathic communication that the merman must be wanting. He still had things to do and didn’t really want to wash up. “I got to talk to the police first. Explain a bit of what happened. Can’t say how long though. They like to ask questions. I’ll be back though. Figure you need to know everything too. Just be patient.” 

Hanzo’s dark eyes narrowed. At first Jesse thought it was because the merman didn’t understand the complicated statement. Then the eyes closed fully and the humanoid sea creature heaved what Jesse interpreted as an annoyed sigh. Jesse clicked the last bullet into the speed loader and made for the door. Hanzo followed as best he could, sinking below the surface to meet with Jesse along the stairs. Jesse had become accustomed to the merman following him through the house. It was a wonder the sea creature hadn’t woken Jesse the moment the divers invaded the tank. But then Hanzo might have been lulled into a sense of security as nothing had happened since the media fake out.

Jesse found some shorts and a bathrobe in his bedroom. He was just placing the revolver back into its drawer when Athena announced the arrival of the police. Hanzo was watching everything. At least until Jesse stepped outside. He really did not want more eyes prying into his home. And he knew they would gawk at the mythological creature swimming in the aquarium. 

It didn’t take quite so long as he expected. The pictures Athena sent them answered most questions. Particularly as Jesse hadn’t bothered to glance at the vehicles. From Athena’s initiation of the intruder alert to the departure of the police, the entire incident took forty minutes. For not pressing charges this time around, it still took longer than he wanted. Jesse helped himself to a double shot of whiskey, grabbed a pack of cigarettes and ash tray before heading back up to the deck. His house was back on lockdown.

Hanzo surfaced not too long after Jesse settled on the edge of the planks. His feet dangled in the water. The now standard position for communicating between the two of them. The moment the silky velvety skin of the merman’s hand touched Jesse’s ankle, he felt a sense of questioning if he was alright. Jesse had not expect Hanzo to worry about him. 

“Yeah, I’m good.” Jesse lifted the whisky on the rocks as if to prove he was fine. Hanzo’s eyes narrowed again. This time in disbelief. “Look, I am going to be fine. This whole incident got me riled up and worried about what could happen next. I’ve never really had to threaten civilians before and I don’t really like it. It’s one thing when I’m working, but those guys usually fight back. So not civilians. And I don’t want to think about what would have happened to you if I hadn’t been here.” Jesse took a sip of the alcohol and leaned back. He should have retracted the roof so he could watch the stars. But he didn’t want to move. In the silence Jesse took a cigarette from the package. He caught the universal wrinkled nose look of disgust on Hanzo’s face. There went another stress reliever. “All right. I told my dads I’d quit anyway.” He tucked the white stick of tobacco back into the box. 

As Jesse took another sip of whiskey, the silence from the merman stretched. The creature did not ask for an explanation of events. He expected Jesse to make good on his promise. And it took much longer than Jesse wanted to admit to realize this. “So… Those guys… they were the scientists. Probably from the research institute studying the videos Sombra makes of you. They wanted to study you up close. Like the first time.” Hanzo scowled at the memory. “Yeah, my thoughts exactly. Well, I kicked them off my property this time. Gave notice to the police. But I’m still worried that they will come back. Perhaps not those ones specifically, but perhaps others. I’m thinking the only way to avoid that is to give them something more interesting then the videos.” All Jesse received was a deadpan stare. “Obviously I’m not giving you to them. I meant it, Hanzo. I’ll make sure you return to your family.” 

That seemed to appease the merman for the time being. Then a hesitant question about what Jesse was thinking about filtered through his mind. Jesse paused as he tried to make the decision. “Well… there is this scientist that my father recommended. I could ask her to come and conduct the tests the marine biologists are asking for. I’m not going to force you to do anything obviously, but if we get some information back to them… I’m hoping they won’t sneak in here to do it themselves. I’ll give her a call and we’ll figure out what can be done.” A sense of conditional agreement followed. At least Hanzo realized that doing nothing could no longer be an option.

Jesse didn’t hear much from the merman after that bit of conversation. Though Hanzo never left him, Jesse knew the creature was not pleased with the decision. Who would be. Intelligent mythological beasts had their reasons for not coming into contact with humans and this was probably one of them. Once he finally said goodnight and drifted back to his room, Jesse got the impression that Hanzo was contemplating how he was to leave this tank. Jesse said nothing. He wasn’t even sure the merman knew that bit of thought had transferred to the human.

The next morning brought the call to the scientist listed on his refrigerator. She seemed pleasant. Maybe a bit more bubbly than Jesse thought a scientist had any right to be, but pleasant. Agreed to come out in two days after talking to the researchers handling the merman case. Said she had some basic information already, just wanted to get any updates. Jesse turned to inform his guest only to see that the merman had retreated into the cave structure after dropping off the remains of breakfast in the bucket provided at the decks. Looked like he already figured out the basics and was not pleased.

And that was pretty much the routine until the morning the scientist knocked on his door. Jesse answered and couldn’t contain his surprise to find the petite woman with a huge bag of equipment. “Hi. I’m Mei. You must be Jesse. We spoke over the phone a couple of days ago. I hope it is still alright to preform these tests…” He must look down right confused.

“Uh, yeah… Come in. Sorry, I just wasn’t sure what to expect.” He held the door for her and offered to help her with the bag but she decline.

“That’s okay. I’ll go over everything to make sure you’re alright with it. Your father said you had some troubling experiences with the biologists.” Mei followed him into the living room where she started to set up the equipment. Most seemed to be computers, advanced versions of the cameras Sombra had set up. Of course she glanced at the tank, curious to the subject she was to be studying, but not overly so. Not like the merman was visible at that moment. “I guess I should start with asking how is he going to cooperate?” Mei gestured to the metal house with delicate blue fins fluttering in the current. Hanzo was hiding. No surprise there. 

Jesse shrugged. Taking his eyes off the tank to study the woman with her black hair pulled up into bun decorated with those Asian hair picks. Mei was casually dressed, khakis and t-shirt. No diving equipment anywhere to be seen. That put Jesse at ease and made him unduly curious. “Hanzo? Well… he can cooperate. Definitely smarter than any dolphin. And more stubborn than a mule.” Those statements brought out the dark glower from the mythical blue creature that Jesse had been receiving the past couple of days. It amazed Jesse that the merman’s telepathy extended past the glass. He could only bite his cheek in amusement to see the intentional provoking got Hanzo out of the shed.

“Oh!” The small explanation of surprise and wonder was to be expected. Even if she had seen the videos, seeing Hanzo in real life was much more breath taking. The immensity of size and the stunning glitter in his scales were enough to stun anyone. “So… you named him?”

“Uh… kinda. I guess…” Jesse ran his hand along the back of his neck. He hadn’t meant to tell anyone the merman’s name. Because that opened the discussion on how he learned it in the first place and the mental abilities of the creature. Obviously something sentient had to communicate somehow. Chemicals, sounds, vibrations. Any of those would work for sea creatures. But the merman had something else entirely. Not what Jesse wanted to reveal. It would only bring more scrutiny. 

Hanzo’s scowl deepened and he swam towards the glass, hovering within touching distance. His black eyes with their otherworldly gold flecks glared at Jesse for those words. Well… what was he supposed to do? Tell this scientist that Hanzo had told him directly? How could Jesse invite more tests when the merman already hated the prospect of what was to come.

“So… he can communicate….” Mei pieced together the interaction. “So… Jesse, think you can help show or tell him what to do?”

Jesse directed his attention back to the scientist. “You’re not going in?” He was surprised. Everyone else had divers. This was one person. With a bunch of equipment.

Mei chuckled. “No. I can swim, but I’m not certified to dive. And to be honest, I don’t want to.” She laughed again at Jesse’s dumbfounded look. “I thought your father told you. I’m a climatologist, not a biologist.”

“Huh?” The words made sense, but they did not register.

“I study climate change. I met your father when he visited the renewed Overwatch effort. He came because the administration wanted the blessing from the original Strike Team. I can’t believe he never told you.” Mei sounded honestly confused.

Sighing heavily, Jesse glanced back to his aquarium. Hanzo was front and center, but Jesse’s eyes drifted to the reef. The showcase piece that he had spent years building. Only because his adoptive dads had given him a chance. “My parents don’t talk much about the conflict or Overwatch. They left the moment the Crisis was over. I know my father still talks with them, but I don’t bother asking what he does. He’s out of the military. Doesn’t want to go back.”

“Oh… sorry. Sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.” The short woman spoke quietly, realizing her mistake. “I like your father. He has been a good friend of mine. We have been working on climate studies and proposals for stabilizing efforts for the past few years. When Jack told me of this finding and your trouble with the marine biologists, I thought it was an honor to be asked. To be trusted with this. I didn’t mean…”

“No. It’s alright.” Jesse straightened and turned a gentle smile towards her. At least Hanzo wasn’t glaring any more. Jesse pushed past his troubled memories and focused on the current crisis. “I just wasn’t expecting… I don’t know what I was expecting. Hear that Hanzo! She’s not getting in the water. Just gonna be you and me.” He beamed at the merman. New memories of just the two of them in the tank flashed through his mind. For all the times Jesse had gone in there, swimming with the creature for the pure pleasure of swimming had not ever crossed his mind. He couldn’t wait to get Hanzo back into the ocean and really see what the merman could do. The soft blue face relaxed the glare and managed to convey exasperation with a small shake of a head and brief closing of his eyes. “Alright, Mei. What do we need to do?”

The climatologist started pulling out the largest piece of equipment yet. It was compacted for the trip and obviously would expand when activated. Mei started explaining as she struggled with the case around the metal contraption. Jesse immediately started to help and ending up holding the machine. It was rather heavy for its compact size. Nearly too large to hold in two arms. “This is an automated body scanner. It should be able to give readings on soft tissues and bones. So it will tell us a bit about its… Hanzo’s internal structure. So the biologists say. It’s mainly used to diagnose injured animals. They also want a blood or tissue sample.”

“Sounds like they want to dissect him.” Jesse wrinkled his nose in disgust.

Mei shrugged. “They would if he did not make it.” She was honest. No wonder Jack Morrison like her. “But most of the researchers I spoke to want as many noninvasive ways to study him as possible. It was actually a medical doctor that suggested this body scanner. The veterinarians hadn’t thought of it. Doctors use this all the time when trying to diagnose humans.”

“So why a tissue or blood sample?”

“DNA studies. Cell morphology studies. And what chemicals help keep Hanzo alive.”

“Can’t this scanner thing do it?”

“The scanner does a great job of mapping out body systems and even cell orientations, but it is no substitute for analyzing the chemical make up of the body apparently. Don’t worry, I’ve already told them that I will not force any test on the creature. And if something doesn’t get done because you say no, then they will have to deal with it.” Mei immediately explained so Jesse wouldn’t feel pressured to do anything. He was thankful of that. “As for the scanner, it will float in the water and keep itself stationary. You just need to get Hanzo to swim through it slowly. There is a green light for when it is registering properly and a red flashing light when it isn’t. I’ll keep an eye on it, but if you know you can watch to.”

“So is this it?”

“This is all I felt comfortable suggesting.” Mei bit her lip. “Obviously there are some researchers who want a more close up examination. Measurements and such. The scanner was the best compromise to get them the basic measurements they want without forcing too much on the … on Hanzo.” Jesse didn’t miss the few times she kept trying to treat the merman as a fellow human. It was a vast change from their previous encounters. “They still want to know how strong he is. And how fast he can swim. Things like that.” But I don’t think either of those could be determined within a tank. No matter how big. Nor if he is not back to normal health. They’ve even asked for stool samples, but I wasn’t even sure how possible it was without being too invasive.”

“Oh…” Key word there was invasive. Jesse wasn’t going to stick a probe up anyone’s anus without expressed permission. “Alright then… so… Guess I’ll take this upstairs to get started.”

Together they made it to the upper deck. Hanzo following their progress up the stairs. The device floated like a buoy while Mei revealed a remote control and did her thing. Eventually it stabilized and she explained that Jesse would have to push it into place. So Jesse donned his wetsuit and scuba gear. He laughed brightly at Hanzo’s frustrated face upon seeing the black with yellow stripped suit.

“It’s cold down there. I’m fine with short dives, but this seems like it might take longer. Last thing I want is hypothermia. Alright Mei, this tank has about one hour of oxygen. I got a radio to hear you on.” He passed over the communicator. “I got a wax board to talk to you. Anything else you need to know before I go in?” Jesse studied the scientist as she learned the controls on the communicator.

“Don’t think so. I’ll see you downstairs. Oh. This will be video recorded too.”

“Of course it is.” Jesse sighed and secured his mask and mouth piece. He took position and fell back into his tank. The sudden and oppressive silence of the water welcomed him. So did the beautiful angular face of the merman. The black rope like hair floated lazily around the sharp cheeks and sharper eyes. Hanzo hovered at arms length, gaze now curious. Jesse simply pointed to the floating white and red device. He took hold of it and started to push it to the center of the tank.

The mechanical voice of Mei on the radio announced that she had made it back to the living room. “Hi there. Can you bring it closer to the glass? Just a little more. Perfect. Stay clear,” she said. The device expanded from the compact design into a rough fragmented donut shape. There did not seem to be any electricity between the pieces so magnets had to be in use. Some of the local aquarium fish came to investigate. They usually poked their heads around Jesse because when he dived he usually had food. Not finding any, most went about their way. “Can Hanzo swim through it and that way we could see if he has enough space to maneuver without knocking the scanner out of position.”

Jesse gave her a hand sign to indicate he understood. He motioned for Hanzo to follow. He was fairly certain the merman could understand the thoughts from both Jesse and Mei, but showing helped. He could see an outline of her from this side of the tank. Hanzo drifted behind him, not needing to put much effort to keep up with the slow human. It also felt reluctant. Still the merman did as requested. They swam through the donut shape several times until Mei was happy with the positioning. And that Hanzo could turn without getting caught anywhere. Then the merry-go-round continued every slower. Jesse watched the lights and tried to help direct Hanzo to go slower. Mei tried suggesting that Jesse find the right pace first so that resulted in Hanzo getting to watch. Eventually they settled on a barely moving drift.

By rights the merman was getting impatient and frustrated. Hence why he hadn’t wanted to participate in the first place. He continued to humor them. Even as his face grew pinched and exhaustion slowed him down. Jesse realized that this was the most activity that the merman had done ever since starting his recovery. Jesse managed a frown around his mouth piece. As Hanzo finished his current pass through the machine, Jesse wrote on his wax board, “We need to finish.”

“Oh!” Mei chirped. Like all scientists she had gotten lost in her work. Jesse had gotten lost in watching the gorgeous being swim. Both had forgotten that Hanzo needed a voice in this too. “One moment. Yup, we all most have a complete picture. Can you ask if Hanzo can do one more pass and then we will pack everything up. Everything else can wait for another time. Or not at all.” Jesse turned to Hanzo and saw the majestic creature wearily nod and set up for one more trip through the magnetic fractured donut. “Hey, can you ask him to flare his fins as much as possible for this one?”

Jesse scribbled out, “Really?” Annoyed with the request.

“He’s amazing.” Mei cooed. Jesse turned and saw that Hanzo had presented his gauzy bluish white fins to their full glory. He even gave a tired if self satisfied smirk. The merman knew he was something to look at. Even seemed to preen at the appreciation Mei lauded him with. Hanzo did the last pass even slower then finally sank to the sand to rest. As Jesse expected Hanzo did not follow them as the device was retracted, cleaned up, packed away, and traveling out the door. 

Jesse had only done a brief wash after stripping from the wetsuit. He traveled out to Mei’s car carrying the heavy scanner. “Mei… Thanks for your help.” He finally said. “You were much easier to deal with than all those others.”

“Not a problem. I’m sorry they were so pushy. I can see why, but it is no excuse.” Mei glanced towards the house, most likely still thinking about the fascinating creature within the aquarium. “Thank you for the opportunity to study him. May I call you with any findings they have?”

“Sure. So long as it is only findings and not requests for more studies and tests. I’ll talk to Hanzo about the blood sample. Just… can you not mention the telepathy kind of understanding he seems to have.”

“I won’t. They might make some inferences, but that secret is safe with me.” Mei thanked him again and assured him that the researchers would only go through her for any future requests. Jesse watched her drive away and went back to the beauty of his aquarium. With the exhausted new center piece. Jesse hoped Hanzo would heal soon so they could get him back to sea before the researchers demanded to lock him up in one of those facilities. If just that half hour of swimming wore out the merman, than swimming across the ocean to find his family was out of the question.

Jesse placed a hand on the cool glass and just watched Hanzo recover. The merman raised his head as if to ask if there was anything Jesse needed. He could only shake his head. “No. I don’t want to disturb your rest. Just wanted to know if you needed anything.” A slow shake of the head and the current pulled the thick black ropes with it. “Then I’ll bring dinner down at the usual time.” Hanzo nodded then closed his eyes. It was still a long road to recovery. Jesse just had to remember that. “Thanks for helping. That should keep them busy for awhile. See you later.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags say No Omnic Criss, Jesse mentions a Crisis. I'll cover that apparent discrepancy later as a side plot.


	4. Fish in a Barrel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo's view on the situation.

**Chapter Four: Fish in a Barrel**

Though he was grateful for the opportunity to rest and recover from the devastating injuries, Hanzo was frustrated with life behind glass walls. Most of his days were spent along the bottom of the tank sleeping. He wouldn’t have been able to hunt or defend himself in this condition. He was barely even capable of swimming for any respectable length of time. So trying to find his family was out of the question. As safe as this enclosure was, it was still an inescapable confined space.

The human had a remarkably predicable routine. After he woke, he fed the fish within the aquarium and checked the waters. He had smoked up until the break in. Then it seemed that Hanzo’s distaste for the practice was enough for the human to quit. Or at least to try. Before lunch Jesse spent his time on what he called a computer. The afternoon was for chores and outings. Not until evening did the man spend time on the deck. He would then provide the meal Hanzo could not obtain himself. 

That was when Jesse stayed to talk. Hanzo had come to expect this. It was the only source of conversation available. And though humans were a dangerous and invasive species, Jesse had proven that some had good intentions. Jesse and his family had been welcoming and accommodating. Even if they were strange and excessively loud. Still, Hanzo remembered intense feelings of concern and awe from the original three sources.

Communication became unusual after he healed enough to be fully conscious of his surroundings. Hanzo could not understand the words these humans spoke. He had never been curious enough to listen from distant beaches or just out of sight of their sailing vessels. Unlike his brother. Yet he could understand intention and emotion. The vibrations emanating from these humans were similar enough to his own. It meant humans had to share a similar consciousness. That gave him hope that he could impress upon Jesse the urgency of Hanzo’s return to his family. But that came with a level of trust Hanzo was not prepared to give.

Humans were destructive. Intrusive. Ignorant. Cruel and deceptive. The majority of Hanzo’s encounters had proven these descriptions correct. But Jesse managed to pull back his natural tendencies to give Hanzo space. That man sent the others away before their curiosity was sated. Jesse even ignored his own questions and settled for the distant fascination of watching. This distance gave Hanzo the courage to finally reach out to the human. Satisfy his own curiosity as to why Jesse was different than the other humans. And what a human actually looked like. They came in all sorts of strange shapes and sizes that changed frequently. All of his other encounters occurred from so far away that Hanzo barely identified more than a basic outline.

He had called out to Jesse. The human comfortably sitting on one side of the glass and Hanzo floating within the tank. Hanzo had no idea if it would work. Humans did not seem to be in tune with the vibrations around them. Much less the other forms of communications available to different species. Beyond all odds, Jesse answered.

That was the night Hanzo learned how humans worked. Reciprocating the inspection had been an offer of trust. To show Jesse that despite the conditions, Hanzo was willing to extend friendship. Hating the human for the captivity would get him nowhere. Sympathy might get Hanzo released. Then came the part he could not predict. No matter how similar human brainwaves were to his, Hanzo had no idea if he would be able to communicate to any degree with the land dwelling bipeds. The clarity of intentions when Jesse touched him gave him the confidence that pushing his own thoughts into Jesse’s mind would be possible. For a moment he had thought that his mental intrusions had broken the human.

But Jesse had recovered and took it all in stride. He was a strong yet kind individual. A warrior in his own right. And the touch assisted communications helped him understand the human’s language. Sounds started to match images. Now their nightly conversations felt normal. Smoother. And gave Hanzo something else to do in the confines of two lengths by one length by nearly three lengths. 

Most of the time the conversations were quite mundane. Asking about daily activities that otherwise made no sense. Jesse usually had the most questions.

“So, why do you have a nose? Can you breathe air through it? Or does it actually sense smells or something underwater? Doesn’t really look like any sensory organ I’ve seen on a fish before.”

Hanzo frowned as he thought. That was not an organ he had given much thought to after his younger years. Eventually he rose above the water enough for his nose to take in a tiny bit of air. He let loose a small snort, pushing minuscule waves away from his face. An image accompanied it of a youngling spending time on rocks, able to breathe air for a short period of time. Ancient stories of Hanzo’s people joined that thought. A time when they conversed with sailors of the past, rescued shipwrecked victims. Until the humans they encountered were no longer friendly. The people of the ocean remained below the waves, letting time forget about them.

Jesse silently absorbed these thoughts. Hanzo could tell that the man understood the weight of the decision. Still the human managed a smile. “Well that’s just a shame. Just look at what you could be doing. You could be sitting up here beside me instead of hanging out down there.”

Hanzo grimaced in annoyance, but kept his mental connection alive with a light touch to Jesse’s foot. He conveyed that adults had lost this practice and he would not survive long on air alone. But in the back of his mind, Hanzo wondered if he could regain that skill. His lungs were still present, just severely diminished. 

“You know what that means, right?” Jesse grinned. Hanzo narrowed his eyes. He did not know what the man was referring to. “If your ancestors could speak to humans, that means you could learn to speak my language. Of course if you don’t want to, that’s fine too. I can’t imagine they shared this telepathy thing with them if they didn’t have to. I mean you looked surprised that it even worked.”

That was accurate. He had been surprised. And Jesse did bring up a good point. That might be a goal worth attempting. If only to satisfy his curiosity.

Then there were nights when Jesse sat in silence just basking in the moonlight and the company. Most of these nights Hanzo did not feel the need to converse. It was enough to know he was not alone. Almost like being with his family. On such a night while Jesse savored his whiskey another question bubbled up from his marine guest. And that was how could it be possible for Jesse to have two fathers. It came out of the blue. Startling Jesse enough that he almost choked on his drink. 

“Uh… you don’t have adoptions?” The human’s mind was uncharacteristically blank. It seemed Hanzo had found a topic the man was not prepared to discuss. Hanzo shook his head and sent Jesse images of his people always rearing their young as a couple of opposing genders with their extended family helping or taking over if the parents died. Seemed logical to Jesse, if Hanzo understood the man’s vague nodding. “I’m gonna be honest with you. This is not the conversation I thought I’d be having with you. So… do you ever have two guys or two girls who prefer each other over the opposite sex?” 

There was a pause then Hanzo gave a nod. Managing to convey that it was rare. At least in the family groups Hanzo was familiar with. There was always aberrant behavior. And close relationships between same sex individuals occurred.

“That at least saves some explanations. Long story short, I don’t know who my ma or pa might be. Got involved in a biker gang to stay alive. Got real good at shooting too. So along came Gabe and his team of law enforcement to shut down the gang. Somehow I caught his attention and he kept me separate from the rest of the gang. I was maybe fifteen or sixteen at the time. Old enough to think I knew everything. Young enough to be stupid. Gabe brought in Jack and they talked about adoption. I didn’t know what the hell they were thinking. I’d been on my own for so long by that point, I didn’t need parents. But according to them I was a minor and not legally responsible. I don’t know if they thought it was a charity case or if Gabe saw too much of himself in me and wanted to make it right… but they adopted me. Been on my case ever since. So… they’re the extended family you’re familiar with…. They took over when mine weren’t there.”

Hanzo’s eyebrows creased as he concentrated on the story. Much of it did not make sense even if the sentiments did. Two men had taken it upon themselves to raise a stranger’s child. It was such a foreign concept to Hanzo. An entire family to die out in his world would be devastating. And a child would be unlikely to survive long enough to find another family group. The ocean was vast and its people scarce. Unlike the overpopulated world above.

Abruptly sadness overwhelmed him. He had been without his family for so long now. He had no way of knowing if they were safe or if the threat still hunted them. He could only hope that his brother would keep them safe. Hanzo drifted low in the water. The connection to the human lost. Through the vibrational disturbances from air to water, he barely recognized the calls of his name. “Hanzo? Hey……. Hanzo? ….. sorry…… downstairs….” Jesse pulled out of the water and Hanzo allowed himself to sink to the bottom of the tank. The human gave off a general sense of discomfort and concern. It hadn’t been his fault. But without the touch to facilitate Hanzo’s side of the conversation, he had no way to tell Jesse this.

When Jesse was visible on the dry side of the tank, Hanzo felt a continuation of their conversation. Muffled as it was through glass and water, Hanzo understood the main points. The human promised once again that he would help Hanzo rejoin his family. It was starting to become a painful thought. He had lost track of the days. He had no idea how long he had been adrift before Jesse pulled him from the surf. He was despondent enough that he did not join the human for conversation the next couple of nights. He consumed the food provided because he knew he needed it to get stronger. Then returned the remains and sank back to the sandy bottom or curl up within the manmade cave.

Jesse didn’t push for explanation. Occasionally he could hear the man talk to the first woman. Olivia, he had called her. Hanzo did not try very hard to understand their vibrations. Their sentiments were still that of concern. He hoped they were planning a way to get him back into the open ocean.

During the time when no one was in the house, Hanzo willed himself to find his limitations. To push himself to get stronger and recover from his injuries. It was taking time. Time he did not have. The longer he was in this cage the more likely that dark shark-born would tear apart his family. That was motivation enough.

When he had exhausted himself with swimming in circles, Hanzo clung to the ladder next to the decking and practiced breathing air. Their conversation made him wonder how possible it was for an adult to live on lung capacity alone for any length of time. Once their species started living in the depths of the ocean this skill became obsolete. 

Time blurred. The artificial lights ruined Hanzo’s sense of days and nights. Only one clear thought remained. The need to escape this cage. Even if he could breathe air, Hanzo had no idea how far from the shoreline he was. He doubted if his body could tolerate dragging it through dry land. No matter how optimistic he was about being able to climb out of the tank and through the outdoor stairwell, Hanzo knew that would be as far as his body could take him. Even in the best of health. It was definitely troublesome for his mind to heal faster than his body.

When he next joined the human for the nightly dinner and conversation, Jesse grinned broadly. “Glad to see you’re doing better. I got some good news for you too. The truck driver said he kept the water truck we used to transport you here. Said he would be willing to transport you back whenever you’re ready.” Hanzo’s eyes widened at the admission. The first real promise that Jesse had been working on Hanzo’s eventual release. “I know you’d go right now if I had him come over, but you got to be honest with me. Are you ready to face whatever near killed you?”

The elation evaporated immediately. Hanzo sunk fully below the surface as he considered his physical health. He was definitely better, but he was not certain of his stamina. Much less his strength and ability to defeat the monster threatening the lives of his family. Yet the thought of remaining within this one reef tank, subject to the whims of his captor clashed with his need for further recovery. He watched the human through the rippled surface. A vague representation of colors and shapes. A man who tried to make captivity feel more like an opening of his home to a guest. Hanzo would not lie to such a person. Could not. It was not who his father raised him to be. As much as he wanted to take the offer tonight, Hanzo knew he would only suffer the same fate if he came across the shark-born so soon. And possibly even if he recovered fully. He would need the help of his family. Particularly his brother. Hanzo prayed that his little brother was healing well among their family. It would take both to protect the group.

Rising so only his eyes breached the surface, Hanzo rested his fingers lightly against Jesse’s submerged foot. Carefully he tried to translate his mental vibration into the words the human was familiar with. His sentiments followed in pictures and tone, but Hanzo needed Jesse to fully understand. “Not yet. Soon.”

“Whoa!” Jesse reared back in surprise, loosing contact. One would think Hanzo had shouted at the man. Because of all the previous conversations, Hanzo could still make out most of what the human said next. “Did not expect that.” When Jesse resettled and contact resumed, the conversation continued in their more usual fashion. Hanzo did not yet have enough human words to fully translate. “Alright then… So, not right now. Oh, and Mei said the results of all those pictures showed that your bones were healing. Evidence of breaking, but as near as they could figure, you body was taking care of it.” 

Hanzo scowled at the mention of the visit from the scientist. While the woman had not been as bad as the others, she had still brought the scanner and facilitated the human’s study. If he had to see her again, he would not agree to any future tests.

“Can do. So does that mean she can help escort you back to the ocean?” Jesse’s question came with a mischievous half smile. Hanzo hesitantly agreed. He did not know what to expect from this offer. “Great. She said she wanted to do anything she could to get you home too. And said if you are ever off the coast of Antartica to think of her. In about two years she’ll be there for a long term study of the climate.” Hanzo shuddered at the thought of those ice filled waters. He preferred the more tropical areas and made sure Jesse knew that. “Don’t worry. I think she got that idea too.”

With the prospect of returning more concrete in reality, Hanzo could tolerate the confines. His host tried to make it comfortable. And the reef was rather spectacular. Jesse was always pleased to talk about how he took the time to create it. He could name every species within his tank. Roughly knew how many of each he had. What kind of conditions they needed to thrive. Hanzo learned more about how humans viewed the ocean and its inhabitants by listening than he ever expected. And the sheer awe in Jesse’s voice as he described his more spectacular diving trips enthralled Hanzo. To him it was simply his home. Common. To Jesse it was an alien world full of wonders.

The nights became full of stories. Hanzo started to ask about the human world. He had never been curious before. Explained that his brother constantly poked his head where it was dangerous just to steal human objects. When they were younger they explored sunken ships and proposed uses for the odd objects they found. Genji was the only one who continued. Hanzo had learned that human things were sources of trouble. And that was how his brother gained the ire of the shark-born. By trespassing into their territory for useless human baubles. 

Hanzo didn’t need to share all that information with the human. Jesse would be safe on a ship if they ever encountered them. However he did manage to annoy himself when he gave out Genji’s name as he told the story of how his brother discovered strange metal men inside a massive ship. They weren’t the corpses or bones usually found. Silvery metal. With long skeletal limbs. Hanzo had been so consumed with curiosity as to what those things were that he forgot to withhold the name of his brother.

“Hmm…” Jesse did not say anything at first. Hanzo sensed a rush of thoughts. So jumbled that he could not make sense of any of the images coming from the human. “I think those were robots. Omnics if I your descriptions are anything to go by.” The human was quiet as he said this. Far more subdued than any other time Hanzo had known the man. Tentatively, Hanzo put forth the question of why Jesse felt devastated. “Maybe another night,” Jesse answered. His smile was weak. His eyes a world away. Hanzo nodded. He would leave it alone for now. But one day he would have his answer. And he could even forgive himself for mentioning Genji when Jesse broke from his depression with a chuckle. “So, your brother is the green merman you showed me before. I would not have guessed. You two have such different color palettes. Don’t most fish look nearly identical within their species?”

With a scowl at being called a fish yet again, Hanzo explained that his people were more varied even if they shared some biology to the common fish. If he knew more about land animals, he would have accused Jesse of being the same species as one of them. Jesse threw his hands up in surrender. Hanzo simply continued to share images of his family. It made him miss them more, but gave Jesse a good representation in how different the people of the ocean could be. Shape and function remained similar, but colors were traits shared far down a family line. Eventually a family would have every combination of available colors. Hanzo’s family alone contained blues, greens, golds, reds, and an occasional purple.

“Sounds amazing.” Jesse smiled softly. He seemed to be entranced with the images of flowing fins of various colors. Of course he would. His collection contained similar variety. 

Jesse started to bring in new and unpredictable things. Hanzo tried to inventory it all. An absurd amount of items pertained to food preparation. That alone was a spectacle. Hanzo had watched fascinated as Jesse’s father and friend cooked or argued. He did not fully understand the need. Preparing and cooking did not exist underwater. Anytime anyone was in the kitchen, Hanzo would fill up his window into the human world to stare. He started to wonder if Genji had ever tasted human food. Anything they found in the wrecks were obviously uneatable. He also wondered if they were even capable. Theoretically they could.

“So I brought you something,” Jesse settled on the deck, dipping his feet into the water. On his plate tonight he had cooked fish. “You’ve been staring and asking questions for weeks. So I made you a piece. You could have just asked and I would have made you something sooner.” Hanzo rolled his eyes. He had not been that curious. “Doubt that. I started with fish. But I suspect you could eat anything. It’s not as hot as I eat it. And you’ve probably never used a fork before… But I figure if you can stay above water long enough, you can use the plate to slide it into your mouth. Fish tends to fall apart after cooking.” Jesse put the small plate with the bite sized piece of salmon on the deck. The orange flesh Hanzo was used to had a paler, pinker color to it that was completely foreign. 

It took him longer than expected to figure out how to pull himself far enough on the deck to reach the plate. Handling the white dish was even more difficult. His fingers slipped along the glassy surface. He did not seem to have enough grip. Jesse politely said nothing. But his eyes burned in amusement. Hanzo could only glare before trying again. It wasn’t that important. Hanzo did not need to try cooked fish. But it would be something that Genji had never done. At least as far as he knew. It didn’t seem to matter how old they became. Being over to lord experiences over his brother had appeal.

Hanzo dipped back down and took a few good breaths before making another attempt. This time he managed to get the thin disk between his slippery fingers and tilted it into his mouth. Wide and full of serrated teeth, Hanzo worried about biting through the plate. Eventually the pinkish orange flesh slid down and Hanzo caught it surprised. Almost immediately Jesse took the dish and Hanzo sank back down. Salmon had always been smooth, rich and flavorful when caught. A delightful treat. This was warm. Dry. Salty but strangely flavored. A bright tang changed the taste he knew. He couldn’t say he disliked it. And it was overwhelmingly new. It melted beneath his teeth and tongue. And disappeared down his throat almost before he could remember the experience. Cooked food did not take nearly as long to devour compared to a fresh kill.

Sinking below the surface Hanzo closed his eyes and tried to recall the sensations. Commit them to memory so he could share with his brother. It was fleeting. A ghostly experience with how fast the moment was. Genji would laugh at how inadequate his descriptions would be. But how could he have known human food was so soft and mushy while still being dry and strong. To think that was the same fish he enjoyed from the ocean. 

When Hanzo finally poked his eyes above the waterline, Jesse was laughing in full force. “If I had known you’d enjoy it that much, I’d have made you a bigger piece. But there’s always next time.”

Next time. A promise. And a foreboding. It meant Hanzo would be here for awhile yet. But since there would be a next time, then at least it could be looked forward to.


	5. Secrets of the Fathoms Below

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revelations of the intimate variety.
> 
> Mentions at the end of chapter (after the **): Nudity, Masturbation, Voyeurism/Exhibitionism, NSFW

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Happy MerMay! 
> 
> Will probably leave this alone for a bit and work on my main works. So enjoy.

**Chapter Five: Secrets of the Fathoms Below**

The distant rumble of thunder announced the approaching storm. Jesse had prepared everything outside the house and was now taking precautions for the enclosure around the tank exterior. They were expecting a big one. The weather announcers called it tropical cyclone Ana. Jesse had the bright idea to text his father’s friend and complain about the weather. The sniper and his primary firearms instructor outside of his adoptive parents had sent back a warning to get prepared and call her once it was over. His dads preemptively made that ultimatum. Jesse promised them all that he would contact them once the storm had passed.

It was forecasted to be severe, but evacuations were not mandatory and he had ridden out category twos several times before. His home had been built to withstand category threes. To some degree. They had not had to test that yet. As much as he loved his tank and house, he would not jeopardize his life for it. Though he would for the wounded sea creature currently calling it home. Thankfully this storm did not make him worried. 

Hanzo poked his head above the waves, eyes shining in the light. The golden flecks seemed huge today. He was also more fidgety than usual. More so than even the first time the merman had experienced a thunderstorm above the deep ocean waters. Hanzo watched Jesse secure the retractable roof intently. “Don’t worry. This building has handled these types of storms before.” A sudden violent crash of thunder startled the blue merman back under the waves. It had even taken Jesse by surprise with how close it sounded. Tentatively the dark eyes under the thick ropes of black hair peered just above the waterline. “It’s only going to be louder up here. Might as well wait for me at the bottom.” Gauzy blue fins fluttered as Hanzo swam towards the sandy substrate. 

Jesse could never get tired of watching the shades of blue now shimmering from his marine guest. The silver scaring became highlights along darker blue scales. It seemed the healthier Hanzo became the more color his fins took. Jesse finished the storm preparations and joined the merman in the lowest level. He marveled at the swirls of cerulean along the paler sides. A deep cobalt blue started to form along the dorsal fin. The beautiful gauzy fins took firmer fanlike structures as Hanzo swam then relaxed into the loose delicate form Jesse had first fell in love with. Tiny sparkles of gold shone within the pale blue tips. The magnificent individual had turned into an elegant hunter and continued to impress Jesse as the weeks past. 

There was even one occasion where Jesse caught the merman testing his barbs. Hanzo had flared the ones hidden within the thick hair. Pale blue, almost white barbs rose above the black bed of black cords. Beyond staying in place they did not move. Purely defensive in nature if Jesse understood aquatic anatomy at all. The merman had even attempted to shoot a barb into the reef from those hidden in his hands. It had not gone very far and Hanzo’s look of disappointment said everything. He was still not strong enough to survive the open ocean.

Thunder shook the walls and clattered Jesse’s decorations, bringing him back to the present. If the storm wasn’t upon them it would be soon.

Hanzo was curled along the glass near where Jesse placed his reading recliner. They could keep each other company until the cyclone passed. The merman though couldn’t stay still for long. “I take it storms are worse up here than they are where you’re from.” Hanzo leveled a certifiable deadpanned glare in Jesse’s direction before circling the tank yet again, trying to find some sort of comfort amid the massive vibrations from the thunder. Torrential rain pounded on the roof adding to the cacophony the merman must be sensing. “Sorry… Just have to wait it out.”

Jesse pulled out his holographic tablet and searched for a book to read. There wasn’t much more to do. Unless there was a catastrophic failure, the excitement was finished until the clean up.

At least that was what he thought until the lights flickered. They had not had a power outage in years. The storm must be more severe than he had understood it. Quickly he pulled up the weather forecast to check the latest category. They were upgrading it to a level three, but logic said the moment it hit land it would loose some of its power and be back down to a two sooner than later. Logic. Didn’t change that the initial hit would be hard. Looked like they were going to be testing the limits of his preparation after all. He shot off a text to his dad before he lost all signal. *Hunkering down. Call you once it’s done.* 

Jesse stood to look out the window at the horizontal rain. He always had respect for Mother Nature, but sometimes wished her awesome power did not threaten everything he held dear. Lightning streaked in a blinding fork of white across the sky. The energy in the world right then took his breath away. “Athena, pull down the storm shutters.”

Strong composite protective shutters clipped into place, blocking the marvelous view of the storm. It also muffled the world. “Shutters are in place.”

“Thank you, Athena.” Jesse walked back to his recliner and gave a reassuring smile to his underwater guest. “Looks like it’s just you and me for the next couple of hours to days.” Hanzo was unimpressed. The hours passed and Jesse was just starting to think about sleep when the lights flashed again. Then everything went out. Silence hummed in his ears. Having been used to the house filled with the constant noise of the kitchen appliances to the filter of the tank, suddenly being without felt oppressive. The world was black. His tablet wasn’t awake so he couldn’t even use it as a flashlight. “Well… I guess I get to go find a candle. Was never really curious about what it was like to be blind. Hope I don’t trip over anything valuable.” Jesse could only chuckle at his misfortune. He should have had his hurricane lamp ready and lit just incase this happened. 

He felt his way from the recliner towards the kitchen. He knew there were at least two more chairs and an end table that he could stumble over. Slowly he started to see faded grayish blue shapes. At first he thought his eyes were adjusting to the darkness and some unknown source of light. As the light grew and the furniture became clearer, Jesse knew it wasn’t his own eyes. He turned towards the only possible source based upon the shadows. Hanzo.

Inside the tank the merman floated within the frame of the sitting room view, his whole body lined with gentle white-blue light. Bioluminescence. Jesse stood slack jawed in awe. Pinpoints of light drew lines across Hanzo’s limbs and down his back. Even Hanzo’s elongated and narrow humanoid facial features were speckled with the light. Where eyebrows should be. Down the bridge of his nose. Riding high along the cheekbones. It shown brilliantly in the dark. If Jesse called Hanzo beautiful before now, his words had been wasted. This was beauty. Perfection. 

The merman’s entire body glowed in the ethereal light. The gauzy pale blue fins took on a ghostly quality as they drifted lazily in the still waters. Jesse found he could not look away. “You could do this…” His path changed to the glass. His hand lightly resting on its cool surface. “It’s…. Amazing.” Words failed to do this justice. Jesse was staring at a porcelain or glass sculpture. There was no possible way this was a real life creature. Magical came to mind. 

He had to have stepped into the world of fantasy. Finding a merman on the beach hadn’t been enough to knock him out of reality. Living with him for months hadn’t done it. But this one night, in the middle of a massive storm, isolated from the world beyond, Jesse believed in magic.

Hanzo gave a small shrug of his shoulders, indicating that he did not consider this aspect of his physiology was all that special. Of course he wouldn’t. This was something he lived with on a daily basis. The only creatures Jesse knew about that used bioluminescence were the deep sea creatures. Ones that never saw sunlight. But Hanzo clearly could survive on the surface. So why would he have this ability. Could he also survive the depths? Far beneath the waves were the toughest submersible could not go? Was that where his people vanished to? Was that why merfolk could no longer breathe air or speak with humans? There were so many more questions now that Jesse knew this about his marine visitor. 

Hanzo seemed to sense the flood of curiosity because the merman narrowed his eyes to mere slits. Jesse shook his head violently to refocus. “Right… That must take energy you don’t really have. I’ll get that lamp.” Jesse forced himself to turn away from the marvelous being within his tank. The blue glow tapered out the farther he went from the glass walls. Hanzo’s limit. Still it was enough to get him to the kitchen. Hanzo trailed through the black waters, sharing the light as he traveled. For a brief moment the golden flare of fire mixed with the phantasmal blue. Harsh reality burned out the supernatural world Jesse unexpectedly preferred. “Thanks.” His voice barely above a whisper, wishing he could hold on to that spell that had transformed his understanding of what was real.

Hanzo gazed back with softer features. Perhaps even a hint of a smile. The golden flecks within those deep black eyes took on the glow of the flame. Even without being able to talk, Jesse understood that Hanzo appreciated not being forced to expend any more of his strength than absolutely necessary. The merman drifted back to the area in the sitting room and Jesse followed. His yellow flame leading the way. Hanzo did cast his glance from Jesse to the reef. Specifically the reef above.

“Yeah… the filter is down too. I have a generator that I’ll turn on if the power doesn’t come back. But it shouldn’t be a problem for a good six to twelve hours. To be honest, I don’t know how you affect the oxygen concentration.” Hanzo was big. He consumed more oxygen than the other fish. And this was the first time the water circulation had stopped since the merman took up residence. “Best thing we can do now is rest and wait.” Thunder continued to rumble in the distance. Rain pounded on the roof. The real world waited just outside the walls. Hanzo shifted warily as if not trusting the still waters. Jesse couldn’t blame him. It would be as strange as stepping into a sound insulated booth for Jesse. Being without the vibrations that he was constantly accustomed to would be very disconcerting.

**

About a week after the storm, Jesse started to think about that night when he swam naked in the tank with the merman. This time he was laying in bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep. He just couldn’t get the memory of how remarkable those silky, velvety fingers lightly caressed his skin. Even now it made his body tingle. It didn’t matter if the motions hadn’t been sexual in nature. Adding to it was the otherworldly glow that entranced him. He still hadn’t told anyone about the bioluminescence. It was something he wanted to keep for himself. Sharing it would have ruined the magic. And Jesse wanted to keep that magic alive.

All that mattered was he now had a perverted secret. He had a growing crush on the merman and now had the urges to masturbate to those fingers and that oh-so-human face. He had lost it. Only in the movies did men fantasize about making out with a half fish, half woman creature. Never once did he see references to men wanting to make out to a humanoid fish. But now that was all Jesse thought about at night. And tonight it was getting the best of him.

Finally he caved. His thoughts had him hard enough as it was. Might as well go all the way. It wasn’t something he normally had the urge for anymore. Pulling his trunk of stuff out of the closet, Jesse looked for what he needed. The massive catchall blanket and lubrication. He didn’t need any of the other toys right now. He got the blanket after he got tired of doing laundry. It made clean up so much simpler. 

Kicking off his boxers and spreading out the blanket over his bed got him started. His hands traced the places where the merman’s fingers trailed. They were too warm but memory did the rest. He felt his cock twitch. Leaning back he drew circles around his nipples and edges of his pectorals trying to capture the sensations. The thrill at the light curious touch. Being the first human allowed such access, being the one Hanzo now compared the world to. He could be the definition of man for the creature. That thought surged an almost painful urge to his groin. 

He left it alone in favor of tickling the coarse hair trailing from his chest to his navel. Then back up, biting his lip at the friction of going against the grain. Then both hands lightly, with only the nails dipping along his sides to the sensitive areas under his ribcage. He lingered there, nails and finger pads drifting along his belly. Just the lightest of touch. Just enough to mimic the cool foreign fingers that had never touched human skin before.

Down to his thighs, gentle probing into the crease where legs met torso. The tender areas remembered how careful the touch was. Heat swelled from his groin to his belly. Aching and delicious desire. If he could come from thought alone… White fingers with just the hint of blue contrasting against his sun drenched skin. That memory played through his brain in an endless loop. 

Sitting up to find the bottle of lube, Jesse saw the creature of his desire hovering just beyond the glass. Watching. Curiosity and fascination reigned supreme on those sharp features. Black eyes wide and golden flecks seemed more pronounced than before. Humans were fascinated by the sexual activities of other animals. Why wouldn’t a sentient creature be curious about the sexual habits of humans. 

Jesse had already lost his modesty to this being. He pulled the blanket with him as he stood. Bottle and cloth in one hand, he walked unabashedly up to the glass and placed the free hand up to the merman. “Hey, Hanzo…. I never did ask before, but with your telepathy can you hear my thoughts from here?” That would be the end of all shame and dignity. Hanzo nodded ever so slightly. Jesse dropped his forehead to the cool glass. The raging need calling him back. “Well, don’t that just beat all,” he chuckled. “You don’t mind do you? If you’re gonna hear it, might as well see what’s going on then, right. Sorry I don’t have a way to shut my brain down. But I gotta take care of this…” His words came heavy, hardly able to focus. Hanzo watching as Jesse masturbated to the thought of the merman’s touch was heady stuff. He didn’t think anything would satisfy him after this.

He barely even saw the slight shake of Hanzo’s head. The wide eyes never left Jesse’s body. Dropping to his knees on the rumpled bit of blanket covering the hardwood floors, Jesse got to work. Perhaps he could capture some of that magic for just for a moment.


	6. Catch and Release

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse makes the difficult decision and Hanzo fears the worst

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @corynofhoole: After much deliberation I decided the bioluminescence would most likely correspond with Oni Hanzo's markings. Thanks for asking.
> 
> And Not Beta'd, totally a first draft, just really needed to write something because it has been too long.

**Chapter Six: Catch and Release**

A low reverberation thrummed through the predawn. _Dwumm_ Jesse groaned as the vibrations lingered uncomfortably in his ears. He couldn’t place it. Another deep resonant thud vibrated within his lungs. It was inconsistent. And too frequent. Athena didn’t think it was worth alerting him, but Jesse growled as another ricocheting vibration disturbed his sleep. This time he rolled out of bed to search for the annoyance.

A familiar cerulean streak darted across the broadest expanse Jesse’s massive aquarium could offer. He had known his reef tank would never be enough to hold this majestic creature. Hanzo was pure muscle and now showed it off spectacularly. The merman surged through the water faster than a being his size should. The force of his tail sending currents crashing into the glass walls. This day was long in coming. Too soon if Jesse had anything to say about it. Sighing heavily, he trudged towards the glass barrier. The chill morning air prickling his skin when all he wore was a pair of boxers. 

The day Jesse had been dreading had finally come. He placed his hand on the cold glass and waited for the overactive merman to notice. Immediately the impressive humanoid fish changed direction. The streamline body reminded him of a reef shark, sleek, long and vicious. Hanzo gracefully pulled up short of crashing unceremoniously into the glass and placed his elongated hand in line with Jesse’s. “Hey… So.. I take it you are feeling better?” 

Hanzo nodded once. Thick black ropes of hair floating in the current the merman created. Eyes wide and dark. The gold flecks were minute flashes as dawn brought light back to the world. In between the waking world and dreams Jesse noticed a new feature on his underwater guest’s visage. Where the otherworldly bioluminescence shown around the creature’s eyes were darker blue swirls. Similar to the broad patterns along the body scales. Yet these were delicately painted. Above the deep crystalized obsidian eyes the scales curled up onto Hanzo’s forehead. The high cheekbones were accented by a curved arrowhead design. Art in nature was simply astounding.

Jesse frowned, which in turned caused Hanzo’s elegant brow to crease in frustration at not understanding the emotions within the human. “It means it is time for you to go home.” Something that should be a happy moment filled Jesse with sadness. “I can probably get everyone together in a couple of days. We can do a quick nighttime transfer.” Jesse stopped as Hanzo pointed to the surface and swam away.

Huffing in amusement, Jesse waved dismissively at the aquarium. He was not awake enough. He was walking towards the bathroom when he saw the gauzy fins flutter back into view. Hanzo’s crease of curiosity prominent on his face. Jesse gave a half smile as he yawned. “I’m getting dressed first. I’ll be up in a few minutes. Try not to hurt yourself.”

Once he had coffee in his hand and his feet dangling into the tank, Jesse had managed to quell the pain of the loss yet to come. Hanzo took up their familiar positions. A light touch of those silky velvet fingers on Jesse’s ankle. Immediately Jesse was bombarded with questions. How? When? Wasn’t Jesse coming?

“Hold your horses,” Jesse chuckled. The colloquialism might have been lost to the merman but Hanzo did pause. “I don’t know all the details yet. Olivia and I have already spoken to the water truck driver. He’ll be ready within a day’s notice. We still need to get the crane and operator. So… maybe a day or two. It will have to be done at night or those onlookers will call the media. Gabe has left a number for a few security guys he trusts to help should things get complicated. But I think I can manage it within three days. Sound good?”

Hanzo’s quick nod sent ripples along the surface waves. A new concern rose from the marine guest. Jesse had images of the day he promised to go with Hanzo to find his family flitter through his mind. The merman was concerned that Jesse would not join as promised. The painful sadness filled Jesse’s chest and he set the mug behind him. “Hanzo, I’m not a sailor. I don’t have a boat lined up yet. That’s going to take a week or longer. I have to charter a boat and captain that we can trust and one that is willing to spend an unknown amount of time at sea. I figure you would want to be free in the ocean while I get that figured out.” Jesse knew he would miss the beautiful creature gracing his aquarium. Deep down he wanted to keep this crazy dream alive and never let let this mythical being out of his sights.

Hanzo caught wind of this desperate desire and backed away cautiously. The hope that lit up the all too human face faded into concern. Distrust lined the soft blues of the angular brow. The merman broke contact but not before Jesse sensed the cruel self admonishment of ever believing a human.

“No. Hanzo. It’s not like that!” Jesse desperately tried to explain. He reached out towards the merman. Lurching forward so fast he lost his balance, toppling into the tank. With natural grace Hanzo remained just out of reach, leaving the human to flounder. Gasping for breath once he righted himself, Jesse gripped the ladder for stability. “Hanzo… I know you have no reason to, but you’ve got to believe me. Yes, I want you to stay. I love having you here. But I’m not going to keep you. I promised to get you back to your family. And I will. You have to trust me. Please.”

The merman never closed the distance. The blatant look of distrust never left.

Sighing heavily Jesse pulled himself out of his tank. “I’m sorry. I’ll get everyone on the phone. Two to three days, okay Hanzo? You’ll be back in the ocean in two to three days. I give you my word.” By the time Jesse turned back to the surface waters the black head with the alluring blue face vanished into the depths below. Jesse’s own desires had betrayed him. Any sense of trust he had built with the amazing sea creature straight out of a storybook had disappeared. Like sea foam left on the beach. Delicate, beautiful, yet ultimately doomed. The reality of the situation was that the merman was trapped within a landlocked aquarium having to believe his captor truly would release him one day.

By the time Jesse entered his house the merman was nowhere to be seen. The shed was the only place the massive creature could hide. Even then there had always been fins fluttering in the current. Now there was nothing. The sea creature had taken every effort to hide his presence from the eyes of human gawkers. Jesse couldn’t blame the merman. He stood in his kitchen with a hand placed on the glass for a long time. Hanzo never emerged from hiding.

From that moment on Jesse remained on his phone. The kitchen filled with never ending Spanish pleas for help. The guy with the truck would be ready tomorrow night. The crane operator could get a team and equipment together by the next. Sombra showed up less than ten minutes after Jesse’s frantic request for assistance. Jamison stayed on speaker phone once called even as he started to search for a ship and captain. He knew plenty in the industry. 

The only upside was that the local town seemed more than willing to help return this surprise attraction back to the ocean. Over the months of the merman’s forced captivity, the tourist trade boomed then slowly returned to normal. They all had talked about the merman as if it were a long lost brother. Most had been there when it had been pulled from the surf. They wanted to be there when it was returned. Even the members of the local press kept it secret. They wanted this story. Not the massive world wide news organizations. Jesse felt a swell of appreciation to his adopted home. This small fishing village with great surfing and a beautiful reef had been nothing but respectful towards him and his miraculous guest.

Sombra had given them all marvelous videos and pictures of the merman. All had seen its health improve. The only ones who were not party to this town wide clandestine mission were the scientists. If possible Jesse would keep it that way. His call to Mei was cryptic. He felt as though he could trust her. She had wanted to be there when Hanzo left. All Jesse asked was for her to be at his house in two days.

Not once during all this commotion did Hanzo poke any part of his body out of the shed. The live feeder fish Jesse now left in the tank for Hanzo to hunt continued to swim peacefully among the more colorful natives. The merman had to know that Jesse was trying to fulfill his promise. Yet depression was an anchor to all other emotions.

Excusing himself from the kitchen, Jesse sought isolation in his small office. For this phone call he did not really want anyone else to listen in. Rare were the times Jesse called his adoptive father. His family phone calls and messages usually went through his dad. Gabriel had always been Jesse’s closest confidant. Jack was a busy man. Jesse tried to respect that. Yet when he encountered the worst moments in his life, Jack was always the first to drop everything to come help. “Jesse! How are you?” The warm mid-western accent and the familiar deep timbre brought Jesse home. The memory of growing up with this public official trying to become a father to a wayward teen never failed to bring a smile to Jesse’s face.

“Dad… I … Well, you and Gabe should come down in two days.”

“Oh?” Jack paused. The background noise dimmed as the Senator walked away from whatever group he had been talking to.

“Yeah.” Jesse tried to sound upbeat about his message.

“Jesse, what’s wrong?” Jack always could read emotions better than Gabriel. Deep down that’s why Jesse called his father in these moments. He never wanted to explain that something was wrong. Jack always knew and prompted. “They didn’t try to break in again, did they?”

“No. I’m letting him go.”

Silence as both father and son took in the simple statement. The deep emotionally charged sentiments followed. “We’ll be there. Two days?”

“Two days.” Jesse nodded firmly. It was mostly for himself. Trying to steel his nerves for the final anticipated moment.

“Do you need anything?” Again Jack always asked the questions Jesse needed to hear. The ones that he was afraid of answering.

“Just you guys.”

“We’ll be there,” Jack promised again. The words eased some of the anxiety from Jesse’s heart. At least he would have his friends and family with him as he lost the most precious thing to cross his path.

*

The night finally came. The one Jesse loathed. At his house were only the truck driver, crane crew, two oyster divers and Jesse’s family. Sombra, the unofficial little sister. And Mei, the temporarily adopted older sister. Jamie was on hologram with Olivia’s phone so he could watch the moment from Australia. Waiting for them on the beach was most of the town.

During those two days of waiting for everything to come together, Hanzo remained within his manmade cave. Never once emerging to even eat. Jesse was concerned. The only other time the merman had been this listless was when first placed within this very tank. Jesse told the divers to wait on the decking until he could convince the merman to come to the surface.

Wetsuit and oxygen tank in place, Jesse dropped into the cool waters of the aquarium. It was just him and Hanzo. Everyone else was outside by the vandalized water truck. He swam to the entrance of the shed. This would be the first time in two days he looked upon the glorious blue scales and delicate gauzy fins of the merman. Hanzo curled around himself. More eel like than fish. The dark piercing eyes pinned Jesse immediately. The golden flecks within gleamed dangerously. The shadows and depths were Hanzo’s domain. There would be no moving this majestic creature if he did not allow it. Anyone involved would perish under the sharp talons, deadly barbs, or massive muscle. There was no denying that Hanzo was a predator. The apex of his ecosystem. 

Tentatively Jesse swam forward. Without words the only precise communication could be from Hanzo’s strange telepathic abilities.

Serrated teeth mere inches from his face forced Jesse to clumsily backpedal. The merman could move quickly. Holding his hands wide, Jesse hoped Hanzo would understand he meant no harm. Hanzo did not back away though he did lower his show of force. When Jesse tried to reach out to close their odd touch based communication, Hanzo retreated just enough to stay out of reach. He still hadn’t forgiven Jesse for that burst of raw emotion. Jesse sighed, releasing a massive stream of bubbles into the water. 

Then he remembered. Hanzo could read thoughts between glass wall. Jesse resorted to internal monologue, hoping that Hanzo would understand everything Jesse had done to get the merman back into the ocean and away from the scientists. Back to his home. He apologized profusely for alienating Hanzo with his selfish desires. Jesse only stopped when one of those webbed hands with silky smooth fingers reached out and touched Jesse’s temple. Hanzo closed his eyes in concentration and again actual words formed within Jesse’s mind. _”Thank you. You promised to help me find my family. I will wait outside the harbor for three days. If you do not show, we will not see each other again.”_

Needless to say that Jesse was stunned. Their communication almost always consisted of images and emotions. Hanzo was something else. Jesse nodded. He would be there. He would find a captain and a ship. Whatever it would take.

The humanoid face softened in relief. The impression that Hanzo did not like to travel alone crossed the connection. Also the understanding of why Jesse’s desires were split between letting the merman go and keeping him. It was more than McCree had expected. Hanzo proved to be more understanding and enlightened than the entirety of the human population. An undercurrent of fear caught Jesse’s attention. When pressed for an explanation, Hanzo admitted not wanting to travel through the air or the small enclosed space. Jesse could only apologize that they did not have any other way.

Hanzo finally and reluctantly agreed.

Together they breached the surface. The team of divers and crane operators were waiting. Jesse directed the lowering of the thick canvas into the tank. The work went quickly. Particularly as Hanzo could understand what was happening. The merman still locked scared wide eyes with Jesse as the canvas left the safety of the water. Gripping Hanzo’s hand Jesse sent as much reassurance as he could to the massive sea creature. He could see the merman taking small puffing breaths through his nose. The ability to breathe above water stalled the suffocation. Hopefully long enough to reach the water truck.

Jesse ran down the stairs along with the other divers to meet Hanzo within the small impromptu tank. The massive humanoid fish twitched, obviously trying to contain the instincts to thrash as he reached the limit. With Hanzo and the canvas secured, Jesse within the tank for moral support, the caravan to the beach began. As they drew closer, Jesse heard music blaring from the dunes. He knew this would happen. All his efforts to keep this quiet. To make it a quick release to the ocean under the cover of starlight was lost among a town with an excuse for a party. Hanzo glanced up quizzically as the excited vibrations reached him. “You don’t know it, but the people of this village helped keep you here. They were here when we found you. They all helped in some way to let you heal. From providing fish to sending the nosey tourist to the research facility. They feel like you’re part of their family. I couldn’t have kept you in relative peace and quiet without their help. Olivia shared your recovery with them too. They just want to say goodbye.”

Hanzo nodded in understanding. Family seemed to be universal. Jesse had adopted his. He would love to have Hanzo as part of it. But it would have to be a distant relationship. Or one only remembered. They lived in two different worlds. It would be too dangerous for Hanzo to get close to the harbor. While this village tried to treat the merman with respect, too many gawkers remained. There would be a few who now scoured the seas in search of a mermaid of their own. To keep. To study. Either way, Hanzo was better off slipping back into the deep and never showing his face to the surface world.

The truck backed up as close to the waves as possible without sinking into the soft sand. The crane slowly rolled along the dry sand. The work was well away from the party goers, but there were enough spotlights to reveal their operation. The divers guided their precious cargo into the waves. Jesse holding Hanzo’s velvety hand the entire way. Just as he had upon finding the wondrous creature. 

Calls of farewells and best wishes filled the air. Soon the canvas was pulled away and Hanzo was free floating among the waves. It was just the two of them. The surf buffeting Jesse’s chest as he stood beyond the reach of the spotlights. Hanzo invisible beneath the constantly moving surface. The only certainty that he had not darted away immediately was the gentle silky touch from the strange all too human hand.

“I’ll see you within three days. If not… Well… It was a privilege to get to know you. And I hope you find your family. And not whatever caused this in the first place.” He spoke to the waves. Jesse tried to remain strong. This wasn’t actually a goodbye. He still had to get a ship and help Hanzo cross the ocean to wherever the merman’s family waited.

Hanzo had yet to send any mental message. The merman was reserved. The touch left Jesse’s wrists without so much as a goodbye. He gripped nothing. Perhaps Hanzo would simply speed off into the deeps never to be seen again. Yet the promise lingered. Jesse had kept half of his. Now he had to trust that Hanzo wanted the human’s help so that Jesse could keep the rest.

Squeals of excitement drew Jesse’s attention from the dark waters. The village partiers were pointing out to sea. There a shadowy figure elegantly arched above the water as he dove back into the waves. A few moments later and the merman surged straight up and splashed back onto the rippling waters. Much like a humpback whale expressing itself. Another graceful leap through the air and the merman vanished beneath the waves. 

McCree felt empty as he returned to shore. Even surrounded by his family, an important part of him swam away to freedom.


	7. Trawling the Waters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day One post release: preparations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your outpouring of support for Jesse and Hanzo.
> 
> Now I hope you don't mind if I ramble a bit to get to the next major emotional upset.

**Chapter Seven: Trawling the Waters**

The kitchen was silent even at maximum capacity. Following the release of the merman back to the ocean, no one knew what to say. Everyone knew it was the goal from the moment the stunning creature washed up on shore and into their lives. Yet they felt as though they had lost one of their closest relatives. McCree most keenly of all. He sat despondent at the kitchen table, staring into the painfully empty tank. The unexpected center piece, their unusual marine guest, absent from the beautifully framed scene.

Not even the mugs of thick, spicy hot chocolate placed on the table stirred the man.

“Well, from my understanding,” Jack tried to hold his family together. With Jesse lost within his emotions, someone had to take charge of the aftermath. This was not a funeral. And he’d be damned if it became one. He had not necessarily agreed with Gabriel on adopting the delinquent murderer from Deadlock Gorge, but Jack came around eventually. Gabriel had taken the whole thing to court, pleaded the child-soldier defense, and got the records sealed. It gave Jesse a new lease on life. One the kid had trouble accepting. These intense blackholes of depression had been common place while Jesse relearned how to function in ‘normal’ society. And still occurred to lesser degrees if Olivia was to be believed. Hence the day at the beach, resulting in the spectacular find. Jack took a breath and powered through. “You all are looking for a ship and captain.”

The Mexican hacker cradled the steaming cup close to her nose, savoring the warmth. “Yeah. Jesse plans on going with Hanzo in search of Hanzo’s family.” Jack had not been sure about the woman when they first met. She was manipulative. Secretive. Nosey. But above all she was sincere. She had attached herself to Jesse after a group diving tour in the Atlantic and had been the first one to call Jack when Jesse broke down into a depression. After walking her through dealing with psychological issues most people would run away from, Jack decided she could stay. Olivia truly did care about Jesse.

“What’s the hang up then?” Jack pushed the conversation towards the productive end. He was a problem solver. Gabriel liked to take action with his own hands. But there was nothing he could do right now. Learning how to skipper a ship to take his adopted son on a wild goose chase would take too long. The man also looked lost at not being able to help.

From the hologram phone sitting on the edge of the table, Jamison’s narrow face broke into motion. The young man was wild but honest. Jack appreciated that about the Australian surfer who suddenly showed up in Jesse’s life after a chance meeting in Hawaii. “All the captains I spoke to, willing to do it under the strict conditions we have, need at least a week to get things ready and another two weeks to get their ship here. You’d be surprised at how many insist on using their own ship.”

“People like what they know.” Jack reassured them. It was the one thing about human nature that always stayed the same. “So why is that time frame causing such trouble?”

“Three days.” Jesse’s despondent voice startled everyone. He spoke into the mug of hot chocolate. It was the first words from the young man since returning to shore. “Hanzo said he’d wait three days and if I wasn’t there he’d leave.”

This new bit of information explained everything. Jack took his cup and leaned against the kitchen counter to consider what he knew and who could help. He did not know anyone with sailing knowledge. Nor did it seem Gabriel knew anyone either. The man had connections with practically every military force in the world, yet the navy eluded him. Judging from the dark glower on his husband’s face, it killed him that he couldn’t do anything in this situation. Later that night, Jack would have to reassure the man that he didn’t need to fix everything.

“I might know someone,” the soft, tentative female voice was new to the table. Jack had met the Chinese climatologist during the new Overwatch inception. Mei bordered on shy but stood by her beliefs and science with iron will. Once she spoke to him after meeting Jesse and Hanzo for the first time, Jack knew the woman would do everything in her power to keep the merman safe from the overeager biologists. It surprised him to learn Jesse invited her to the release day. “He would probably be here in a heartbeat if you told him why and bought his ticket.” As she spoke she pulled up a holographic picture of an older soldier.

“Is that Lieutenant Wilhelm?” Jack leaned forward to better study the white haired old man.

“Yes. He left Overwatch a couple years after you visited. Well… Overwatch officials told him to retire.” Mei explained.

“I thought he was a knight.” Jack chuckled at the memory. He would not have minded working with that soldier.

“He is. Was. He still has his armor. But after Mr. Lindholm died on mission, Reinhardt helped take care of his family. Eventually they grew up and Reinhardt went to sea. He said he wanted to do something different. That had nothing to do with the past. But he still tells wild stories. I’m sure he’d help the moment you mention mermaids.” Mei never once looked up from her cup. Painful memories even if she remembered the soldier fondly. 

Gabriel rose from his seat, pulling out his own phone in the process. “I remember Reinhardt. Good man. Overwatch did themselves a disservice by asking him to retire early. Ana said he had been slated to go on that mission with Torbjörn. I’ll get her on the line and see if she can contact Reinhardt.” Gabe looked better now that he could do something. The lead security officer stepped into the living room for the conversation.

Jack turned his concern back to his son. Jesse’s eyes were unfocused, likely remembering when brilliant blue fins flutter in that view of the aquarium. The underwater guest was a constant presence for family dinner despite not being able to join. “I noticed Ana wasn’t here tonight,” he prompted softly. Having the maternal figure here during his emotional turmoil would have been good for Jesse.

“Overwatch duties.” Jesse explained dully. Ana was the second Strike Commander of Overwatch. If a crisis had come up, she would have been hard pressed to leave. In the early years the woman had taken Jesse in along side her own daughter. If Jack or Gabe couldn’t reach the troubled teen, Ana could. The kitchen returned to silence.

When Gabriel returned, his mood had worsened. Jack frowned at the thought of something even more terrible happening in the world. “An Overwatch facility in Johannesburg was attacked. They’re investigating who did this and recovering. Ana sends her apologies. And she will send Reinhardt’s contact information as soon as she gets it pulled up.” As disheartening as the news was, Jesse merely sunk deeper into himself. Hot chocolate long forgotten. “We’re not going to get anything else done tonight,” Gabe took the practical approach. “Let’s get some sleep and work on it tomorrow. We can do a lot in three days.”

** 

The rich, warm, penetrating perfume of coffee filled every nook and cranny of the house. Jesse could smell it on waking. It was a comforting smell. Particularly when he wasn’t the one to make it. It meant Jack was here. And where there was Jack, Gabriel followed. It was home.

Jesse was dressed and downstairs within moments. He had a ship to charter and a captain to convince. And two days to get it done. Jack was already in the kitchen making breakfast. Just like old times. The door burst open with Gabriel’s voice leading the way. “No. He’s a grown ass man. I can’t force him to do anything. Here.” Gabe tossed the phone at Jesse with a grimace. The man’s arms were otherwise full with groceries. McCree caught the phone reflexively. A woman’s voice came from the speaker. “Ana’s upset you never called her last night.”

Jesse scowled. Yet he dutifully put the phone to his ear and caught the last of a tirade meant for his dad. “Hi, Ana.”

“Don’t you ‘Hi, Ana’ me, young man.” The sniper was in rare form. She smoothly transitioned from telling off Gabe to reaming out her adopted son by proxy. “I know you were an emotional wreck following the release, but the least you could have done is sent me a text saying it was successful. Then Gabriel asking for Reinhardt’s number out of the blue like that. Why didn’t you say you needed a ship and captain when you called before the release?”

“Uh…” Jesse had no idea. So much had been happening the past few days. It was frankly a blur. He could only remember the wide all too human eyes tracking his every move. “I was occupied with getting the release team collected. Jamie was on ship finding duty.”

“Jamison?” Ana paused. Jesse didn’t need a visual holo-projector to know she was pinching the bridge of her nose. “Did you find anyone?”

“No, ma’am. At least no one who could be ready in less than a week.”

“You should have been searching sooner than that.”

It was Jesse’s turn to express exasperation. He released a low growl and left the kitchen. “If I had started searching before then, the marine research facility would have caught wind of it and getting Hanzo out of town would have been much harder. I got less than three days, Ana. After that Hanzo’s leaving without me. And I promised to help him find his family.”

“You sure know how to promise the impossible.”

“It’s not impossible. Hanzo seems like he knows where he’s going. Just needs some company along the way. He had been in a vicious fight in case you didn’t know.”

Ana sighed heavily. “I’ve already sent Gabriel the information. Just be safe out there, Jesse.”

“I will. Promise.” Jesse relaxed now that Ana had given her blessing. There was still a nagging in the back of his brain. “How are the folks from Johannesburg?” He hadn’t watched the news this morning. Frankly he didn’t want to. Ana would give him the information without the sentimental sob stories.

“We lost thirty six people. They are still cleaning up the rubble. We have a good idea who was behind it. Getting to them will be difficult.”

“You’ll get them.” Jesse managed a grin.

“Thanks for your vote of confidence.” Ana chuckled softly. “It would be easier if you or Gabriel had joined Overwatch.”

“Not really my style. But I know you’ll keep trying. Thanks for everything, Ana. I’ll keep you better informed from now on.”

“No you won’t, but it’s the thought that counts. Tell Jack to call me later about a U.S. government issue.”

“Sure thing.” Jesse ended the call and sagged his shoulders. So much had happened already. So much more to come. There were probably news vans outside his driveway right now. Angry biologists ready to pound down his door. And he still had to find a ship captain that wouldn’t spill the beans on their mission. “Hey, Jack, Ana wants you to call her later. Sounds like its about work.” Jesse put the phone on the table and started to unpack the bags Gabe brought. Anything to keep from staring into the empty aquarium. He would have to go up to test the waters and feed the original inhabitants eventually. It was a chore that used to bring him joy. Now though the anxiety just thinking about the task brought pain to the center of his chest.

“We’ll get breakfast underway then I’ll give her a call.” Jack appeared unconcerned about the message. He remained beside the stove preparing batter and sausage patties.

“How much did you get?” Jesse continued to empty the never ending bags.

Gabriel shrugged. “You said you didn’t know how long you’re going to be gone. Better to stock up when you can.”

The kitchen door opened again. Jesse wasn’t expecting anyone. A loud voice announced the presence of a man who shouldn’t be there. “I smell pancakes! You couldn’t have planned it any better.” Jamison Fawkes. The surfer should still be in Australia.

“I didn’t pick you up from the airport for pancakes.” Sombra’s annoyed voice followed. Soon both people walked in loaded with luggage. “Hola! Look who I picked up.”

“Jamie! What are you doing here?” Jesse abandoned the bags of groceries to give the surfer a massive hug.

“Well, you know how I wanted to be here last night. But that didn’t happen. So, I took off to help you sail across the ocean.”

“You didn’t need to.”

“I know. But how could I miss out on this adventure.” With Jamie and Olivia packed up for a longterm trip, Jesse was sure he wouldn’t have to travel alone. Breakfast continued with the same overabundance of energy only the surfer could bring. And sitting innocently at the edge of the table was Gabriel’s phone. On it the number to this Reinhardt Wilhelm. It was his best bet. But he still needed to find a ship.

Gabriel pushed the phone towards Jesse. “If you don’t call him, then you’ll never get out there.” On the screen was the contact information. Jesse quickly took out his phone and typed the number.

“Yeah. I got it. What time is it over there anyway?” Jesse pushed away from the table. He’d been on the phone with strangers over the past few days, what was one more. His parents and even Ana trusted this guy. What did he have to loose?

Disappearing above the chaos to the decks over the tank, Jesse hit the call button. He would not think about how this used to be the place where he conversed with an otherworldly being. Instead, he would focus on how Hanzo was free and Jesse would keep it that way. 

“ _Guten Abend.”_ The overly loud and joyful shout nearly bowled Jesse over from sound waves alone. This guy would be a force to be reckoned with in person.

What was he supposed to say? He had learned Spanish. Not German. Ana should have warned him or at least introduced them. Jesse sighed. “Uh… Sorry, I don’t speak German. I’m Jesse McCree. Ana Amari gave me this number for a Reinhardt—.” He never had a chance to finish.

“Ah! Ana told me you would call. All she said was that you needed a boat and a captain to sail it. She did not tell me why, but I suspect it is important. When did you plan on departing?” Reinhardt’s energy threatened to dwarf Jamison’s. No one would ever sleep with those two around.

“In two days. A friend of mine can’t wait any longer than that. In fact I hope he is waiting…”

“Two days? That’s not much time.” The enthusiasm dropped as the man considered the logistics. “I won’t be able to bring my ship anywhere meaningful. Ana said you were in Mexico.”

“Yes.” Jesse suddenly realized how difficult this would be. How unlikely he would be to meet Hanzo outside the harbor. He sucked in a deep breath and tried not to think about failure. “If I got a ship here that met your standards, would that be reasonable?” Jesse bit his tongue. To tell this man or not. Mei had seemed so certain this Reinhardt would drop everything to help. But only if he knew the truth. “The thing is…. I’m hoping to help my friend find his family…. He’s… he’s a merman. And I don’t have a lot of time to work out the details…”

“A merman!” Reinhardt wasn’t listening after that. “Why didn’t you say so in the first place! Brigette! Did you hear that? This man wants to chase mermaids!”

“That’s not what I said!” McCree growled. This had been a mistake. He should hang up now and let this man croon out fantasies in peace.

“Uh… hello?” A woman’s voice became the primary one on the line while Reinhardt’s tried to fade into the distance. Presumably the man was preparing for a quest. Jesse acknowledged he was still on the phone, much to the woman’s relief. “Uh, yes, I’m Brigette… Basically in charge of everything except actually piloting the ship. Well, your talk of mermaids made it clear we’re going. But you do realize we can’t get our ship to Mexico that quickly. Much less find plane tickets that fast.”

“All that can be taken care of.” Jesse quickly reassured her. This was actually happening. This was more fantastical than finding a mythical beast washed up on shore. He felt his heart catch in his throat, barely able to believe he was closing the deal. “Just need your information for the tickets. And what kind of ship he wants. I can hire that here… And the thing is I don’t know exactly how long the trip will take. Only that it is out in the Pacific.”

“Oh, that won’t be a problem. Reinhardt’s sailed there plenty of times. He likes to island hop.” Brigette sounded somewhere between amused and exasperated. “So, I’ll send you all the information to this number. As well as the contact information for myself and Reinhardt. I strongly urge you to send anything through me. Reinhardt is dependable… but…”

“Easily distracted. I can tell. How soon can you get to the airport?” Jesse already had his holoscreens up and searching for a flight. The two of them set out preparing for the journey. It finally felt real. Fulfilling his promise to the merman.

The morning was spent getting these two tickets and learning what type of ship would be needed. Suddenly Jesse was glad Jamie had flown in. The surfer knew so much more about seafaring vessels. They could spend the afternoon finding one.

He was just finishing the call with Brigette as new noises interrupted the day. Familiar sounds of crowds. Sighing Jesse, exited by way of the external stairs. Sure enough at the edge of his property were news vans and a swarm of people. News traveled fast, even in a town sympathetic to an injured marine creature. Gabriel’s security forces had the perimeter, meaning Gabriel already knew. With things handled Jesse was about to head back to the kitchen. Though in that crowd he saw someone who shouldn’t be there.

Mei had been stopped. The security did not recognize her as part of the family now. Jesse trotted up the driveway until he could grab the woman’s wrist. “She’s good. I’ll escort her from here.” Jesse glared at the nearest officer. They were only doing their job. They couldn’t call for every person claiming to know the Senator and his family. At least there was no questioning his actions. 

Now the reporters on the other hand. They became a right nuisance. Many shouted out questions about the whereabouts of the mermaid. Was it true it had been housed in his aquarium this entire time. Did he really release it in the dead of night. A few of the angry protesters were scientists or proponents of the research. They demanded to know why he had released such an unusual specimen before they had all their questions answered. To them, Jesse growled out, “No comment.”

It wasn’t until halfway to the house that he realized he still had Mei’s wrist. Mumbling “I’m sorry,” Jesse let go hastily.

“That’s okay,” Mei rubbed her wrist. “I should have called ahead. I did not think a crowd like that would form so fast.”

“Well, you can always bet on protesters to act faster than reasonable thought. Even in a village like this, the word would get out sooner than later. I’m still impressed we were able to keep it a secret for as along as we did.” Jesse sighed and opened the kitchen door. Everyone was still there. “Hey. Mei got caught at security.” He let the smaller climatologist go in first. “Might want to let Phil know she’s good to pass as she pleases. Same as Sombra and Jamie. I wasn’t all that nice about it.”

Gabriel groaned at having to smooth over the incident. “Why is it always you and Phil? Cory was in charge this morning.”

“Yeah, Cory was dealing with the press. It’s going to get out of hand soon.” Jesse shrugged. It would complicate his search for a ship, but it wouldn’t stop him. Most of the dealings could be done over the phone.

“We’ll just send our spokesperson out there to talk to them. Should keep them occupied for awhile.” Gabriel had a downright devious look in his eye. He was busy with the dishes though glanced at Jack when he said this.

The Senator rolled his eyes. “We don’t have a spokesperson with us. Latoya is on vacation.”

“Wasn’t talking about Latoya.” This time Gabe stared directly at Jack. Even to Jesse it was clear. Jack took a few seconds longer before he groaned. Gabriel continued as if he didn’t notice. “If they hear it from you, they’ll be more satisfied. And it will give them something to talk about while we go search for a boat.”

Half an hour later Jack Morrison was staging a press conference with Gabriel Reyes hovering on the edge with the security. Jesse had his jeep packed with Olivia, Jamie and Mei as he drove passed. His father complained at having to do this speech. Looked absolutely livid when confronting Gabe about the scheme. Still Jack's words would be far better at placating the crowd than Jesse’s.

Jamie insisted playing the press conference as they drove to the docks. Day one was looking promising. Tomorrow Reinhardt and Brigette would arrive. With any luck they would be on a ship out in the harbor before day three. Now if only Hanzo would wait for them.

“I know you are all anxious to learn the whereaboust of the merman, who suddenly appeared on this shore several months ago,” Jack’s voice filled the jeep’s cabin. “The merman has officially been returned to the ocean. Where he belongs. The agreed goal of this enterprise was not to keep a sentient being captive while we probe the mysteries of another race. It had always been to allow a stranger to heal until he could safely return to his world. What would it say about us as a species if we were to keep a healthy individual against his will simply to answer scientific curiosity. It would guarantee that this amazing individual would cease to cooperate and bring back stories of our cruelty. When we rehabilitate wild animals, we release them the moment it is safe to do so. The merman reached that point. We have gained amazing insights into a world we had not known existed. Questioned what constitutes an intelligent being. And by showing kindness, perhaps the merman will choose interact with us in the future.”


	8. Out with the Tide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boat found. Stuff packed. Storm halting their departure and deadline running short. Neither Jesse nor Hanzo are sure the other will be there.

**Chapter Eight: Out with the Tide**

The docks were filled with ocean going vessels and shoreline recreational catamarans. A few deep sea fishing boats and a several masts of sailing ships rounded out the marina. Without question Jesse was in over his head. If it wasn’t the specifications that lost him it was the price tag. Renting the proper boat was astronomical. Particularly since he had no set timeframe. Jamison found a ship that met every requirement Reinhardt and Brigette had given them. It was up to Jesse to make the final decision. He left his friends milling around the slightly used though well maintained yacht, complete with diving platform at the stern. 

On his phone was his father’s direct number. There was no way he could go around Jack with this request. Gabriel deferred all monetary actions to the Senator. Biting the bullet Jesse made the call. The deep midwestern voice answered within the first ring. Had his parents been sitting by the phone waiting for this call? No sense in teasing them about it now. That would come after Jesse got the answer he was looking for. “Jesse, any luck with the search?”

“Yeah… About that,” Jesse turned away from the boat and his friends giving him blatant signs of encouragement. “You know how you always said you wanted to take Gabe on a cruise around the world? What would you say to a joint venture in owning an ocean going yacht?” Silence answered him. “Uh… I’m serious here.”

“I know you are, son,” Jack responded as if suddenly waking from a dream. “I should have expected this. Well, what’s it going to cost?” Jesse immediately sent over everything. The pictures, specifications, floor plans, and of course the price tag. With a payment plan.

“I figure we split the thing down the middle. I’ll get you on my account so we can make payments easier. Once I’m done with it, she’s all yours.”

Jack did not answer immediately. Jesse could imagine the blond Senator scowling at the figures and trying to find another, cheaper way. “And there is nothing else suitable?” His father had Reinhardt’s specifications for his ship somewhere in that phone. 

“I asked. There is one but it’s up in Washington. No way to get it here in the time frame. You don’t want to see the brand new one.”

“I probably don’t. I can’t believe I’m doing this. So, what do you need from me right now?”

Jesse sighed in relief. How he lucked out in being adopted by these two men, he’ll forever thank that lucky star. “Just a conference call with the finance department and we’ll be good to go. Said we could do everything right now to insurance over the phone if needed. I can easily transfer the downpayment. Just need you to cosign.”

“You do realize most kids do this when asking for their first car.”

Belting out a surprised laugh, Jesse grinned. “Thank god I got a job before that.” He fondly remembered junker he bought with cash from his work at a salvage yard. His boss, a rotund tattooed belly biker, had been great about helping him get it to work again.

“Hey, Gabe!” Jack hollered across an invisible room. “We’re about to own a yacht.”

Faintly Jesse heard his dad grumble, “You’ve got to be kidding me. You tell Jesse that he’d better get that ship back here in one piece when he’s done with it. And I’m the one who’s going to name it.”

“You get all that, Jesse?” Jack asked. Relaying conversations was always a chore so it was standard question in this family.

Jesse grinned across the phone at his dad. The man would make such odd demands. He’d take the ship out no matter the name. “Loud and clear. But you’re going to have to have a name before Reinhardt gets here. Otherwise it’s my choice. See you when we get home.” Jesse hung up before they could further the conversation. He had a deal to make. And a boat to own before the ship captain showed up.

When they did finally meet Reinhardt and Brigette at the airport, Jesse finally understood what it meant to be short. Craning his neck to look the towering behemoth in the eye, he learned respect for his own above average height. His parents used to work with this man. In the few stories they told, this muscle bound giant had saved their lives multiple times with his great shield. Seeing this man in his armor would have been a sight. Instead Reinhardt wore a traditional dark blue naval coat with golden tassels on his shoulders. The man had walked out of a storybook. 

“Ah! Gabriel, Jack! Long time no see!” The thick German accent was ever stronger in person. The old soldiers greeted each other fondly. Brief reminiscing and asking after Ana. Then a car ride of catching up on everything that had happened since they parted ways. Jesse at least had an equally bored Brigette next to him while Gabriel drove. They at least spoke specifics for the odd mission ahead. When Jesse pulled out the videos Olivia had shared of Hanzo swimming in his aquarium, his phone disappeared into the massive hand of the German. “So it is real. I had seen news reports but couldn’t hope to believe.”

“Hanzo. We’re going to help him find his family.” Jesse explained. “Don’t really know how yet, but he seemed clear that traveling with others was safer than traveling alone.”

“They said he was badly injured when you found him.” Brigette took the phone back. “Do you know how?”

Jesse could only shake his head. “No. He never told me that story.”

Brigette picked up on the phrasing immediately. “He can talk to you?”

“Kind of.”

“I can’t wait to meet him. Hope he’s waiting for us when we get out there. Otherwise this will be a very short trip.” The young woman grinned as she returned Jesse’s phone.

Jesse could only chuckle softly at the remark. “And an expensive one. We’ll head out tomorrow. Though the weather forecast keeps making the storm to be something fierce.”

“Can we leave tonight?” Reinhardt proposed the idea. Jesse was all for it. His bags had been packed the moment he came home from purchasing the ocean going yacht. 

Jack was the one to stop the plan. “Can’t. The legalities won’t be ready until tomorrow. We’ll take you to the docks before the hotel so you can see the ship and let us know if we’re missing anything.” The tour of the yacht lasted even longer than the car ride. Jesse and Brigette kept a list of things Reinhardt wanted to add. It wasn’t much. Just a few tools for navigation he had not been able to bring with him. And items to repair the engine should they need it. At least Brigette knew what he was talking about.

The captain did have the most important question. “What’s her name?”

With a shrug Jesse motioned to his dad. “Waiting on Gabe for that one.” 

As if waiting for that segue Gabriel pushed through the small crowd. “Reel Deep. Because that is the kind of trouble you’ll be in if you don’t bring this boat back in one piece. I have plans for deep sea fishing in that thing.” Jesse frowned at the little speech. His dad’s threat had next to no teeth. The security officer passed over the registration papers. “But I’m feeling generous. Decided on _Family Devotion_ so you remember why you’re doing this and who got you there.”

Jesse groaned. “I’m not going to forget.” He glanced at the papers and bit his lip. “That’s not what it says on the registration.” Twisting the document to show his dad, he relished the absolute astonishment blossoming on Gabriel’s face.

“ _Attitude Adjustment_? Jack!” Gabriel rounded on his husband, a hurricane of mock fury and righteous indignation. “We agreed on _Family Devotion_ if I couldn’t have _Reel Deep_.”

Jack put on his politician smile and placed a hand on Gabriel’s shoulder, steering him away from the center of attention. “We’ll talk about this later.” It was the Senator’s voice that said Jack had no intention of backing down and that he would get his way no matter the costs. “For now, I’ve got the decal guys coming later this afternoon. With a few other surprises you’ll find later.”

“Surprises?” Jesse almost didn’t want to know. It was probably a good thing his friends were not here to demand answers. 

“Just a few other names Gabe picked out that he couldn’t give up. Let’s go to the hotel and get a late lunch.” End of discussion. Senator Morrison lead the way back to the car. A chastised Gabriel in tow.

Reinhardt whispered to the remaining kids by comparison. “He would have been a great Strike Commander. Just don’t cross him.”

“You’re telling me.” Jesse lamented. “I grew up with him.”

* *

The third day arrived with rain and winds just shy of a cyclone. All they could do was sit at the club house for the docks and stare miserably at the storm. The yacht was packed. Clothing, foodstuffs, scientific equipment, fuel. Only the weather prevented them from joining Hanzo beyond the bay. Provided the merman was still there. He had promised to wait three days, but there was no guarantee. The merman could have skipped town leaving Jesse high and dry on a wild goose chase for a ship. Yet Hanzo had seemed so genuine with his request for Jesse to honor his end of the bargain. 

Jamison set a cup of coffee in front of him and cradled his own. “It’s not a total loss. The weather man says the storm will pass by this evening.”

“But what if he’s not there?” Jesse spun the mug by the handle, scowling into the dark depths. “All this effort for nothing.”

“When you put it that way, why did you bother in the first place?” Olivia dropped down beside him. “It seems to me Hanzo made it clear he wanted you to join him. And if he doesn’t understand that people and ships can’t survive in a storm like this, then he’s not the friend you were hoping for. Sure that sucks, but you can either feel sorry for yourself, or move on.”

“Loads of help, Sombra.” The Australian surfer glowered comically. Jesse couldn’t help but chuckle. 

“You’re right.” He would try to find a bright side to this ordeal. “Hey, we got a boat now. Means we can get to the best waves and most unique dives without having to deal with all those agencies.”

“That’s the spirit!” Jamie grinned. “Now let’s go watch the lightning.” The storm was truly spectacular. Not anywhere near the level of a typhoon. Mother Nature put on a fantastic display of light. Jesse still recalled the otherworldly moment hold up in a blackout with the merman’s natural, ethereal bioluminescence filling his world with thoughts of magic.

“Now those are some fireworks,” Gabriel stepped up beside him. A solid comforting presence Jesse never realized he needed until so much later in his youth. The man who had fought for him when no one else would. “Coast Guard is saying the storm is heading north. Give or take half an hour before they allow ships to sail. Ready?”

“We’ve been ready.”

“Not what I meant, Jesse. Are you ready to never see him again?” Gabriel pinned those sharp brown eyes into his and Jesse swore the man could read his soul. Jesse pulled his own gaze away and back to the distant flashes of white within near invisible clouds. It did nothing to change the burning of his dad’s intense glare.

“There’s nothing saying we won’t see each other again,” Jesse shrugged, hiding his nerves behind a sip of coffee. 

“Only the difference between sea and air. No matter how much you help him, he’s not going be able to come back. Too many people know about him and will hunt him and his family down. Many might try to follow you to find his home. Are you ready to put your life on the line to never see him again?” If Jesse had not followed this man’s footsteps into military contracting, he would have claimed Gabriel Reyes was being paranoid. However too many times had they witnessed just that. Scientists and protesters alike had tried to break into Jesse’s property. In the few days it had taken to find a ship, Jesse saw scientists readying their equipment. Gabriel had installed Athena onto the yacht’s computers and increased security there. No trackers yet found, but Reinhardt could not keep their locations secret while out on the open ocean should they need assistance. 

Jesse squared his shoulders and clenched the coffee mug. Eyes fixed at a point beyond the horizon where the lightning strikes met the waves. “I promised to see him to his family. Whatever injured him is still out there. Now the world knows they exist. I’ll do what I must to keep him safe from those poachers.”

With a heavy sigh, Gabriel dropped an equally heavy hand to Jesse’s shoulder. “I know you will. Try not to get yourself killed out there.”

“You know me, pillar of caution.” Jesse grinned. His dad snorted in attempt to contain his laughter. “Besides, if I die, you’ll hunt me down and beat my ass. Don’t think I’ve forgotten that promise.”

“Only, this time Jack’s going to lead the way. We don’t say this often enough, kid—.”

“Yeah, I’m going to have to stop you there. I know. You’re here. That says everything. And if Jack could spend an unknown amount of time at sea, you two would be on that boat with us. I mean look at him,” Jesse cast his eyes back towards the entry to the club. There Jack Morrison stood before a set of microphones, a crowd of reporters and cameras, trying to distract and ease tensions regarding the now public launch of McCree’s vessel. “I almost feel bad about using him as a decoy so often.”

“That’s his way of helping. And let’s be honest. He’s done more than I could in this situation.”

“It’s not a competition, dad.” Jesse finished the half hug, knowing he would be escaping the press while the Senator of California held them at bay. No chance to say goodbye to Jack, so he took the opportunity to properly bid farewell to Gabe. Perhaps enough to make it up to the graying midwesterner. “It never was.”

The little climatologist interrupted. “Um, sorry, just… My friends in the Coast Guard just called saying if we leave now we can catch a gap in the weather. Reinhardt and Brigette are already on board getting ready to cast off.”

Gabriel pushed Jesse towards Mei. “Get going. They won’t know you’re gone until you’re sailing away from the docks. By then you’ll be out to sea before they reach their boats.”

“When I get back, you’re going to explain how you got so many friends in the Coast Guard so quickly.” Jesse grinned. 

Gabriel chuckled. “To be fair, most of them were Mei’s first.”

The one scientist the family trusted shrugged. “Never underestimate the power of persuasion. And a few nights on a slightly used luxury yacht.”

“I told Jack that when we get it back, we’re putting in a hot tub.” The grin under the trimmed beard was a stranger to the officially dower head of security. “Now go.”

As quickly and silently as possible, Jesse and his friends braved the dying rain to join their hired Captain and First Mate on the yacht. Olivia and Mei immediately joined Reinhardt in the wheelhouse to assist in navigation. Jamie and Jesse under the direction of Brigette cast off the lines and ensured everything was tied down. They had no intention of loosing equipment to this tiny thing of a storm. Just as they were clearing the last pier, Jesse turned back to the clubhouse and imagined his dads looking out at the idiotic ship sailing into the storm.

Drenched both Brigette and Jamison stood beside him at the stern. The young woman turned out to be the voice of reason for this fantastical voyage. “So… how is this mermaid going to know we’re coming?”

Jesse groaned and scrubbed his face irritated. How had he forgotten that detail. “I have no idea.” Hanzo might be able to sense thoughts, but Jesse did not know how far the range was. If the vibrations of the waves and wind would make it more difficult. So focused on getting the vehicle for travel he had not questioned Hanzo on how to contact the merman once they were underway. They could easily sail aimlessly and completely miss the merman, thereby faulting on Jesse’s promise. If Hanzo had even stayed.

* * 

The third sun had set behind the raging thunderstorm. Deep beneath the roiling surface, Hanzo took shelter along the rocky seafloor. Tugged by the storm surge, he rethought the decision to remain. The promised three days had pass and Jesse had not gone beyond the marina. The heavily populated bay and shallow surf of the beach were areas Hanzo avoided. Too many curiosity seekers traversed those waters. Too many nets filled the deeper seas. He could not remain this close to human activity for much longer. It was why he had only promised three days. It was dangerous.

Several times he had swam far beyond human reach to hunt the shoals of fish unseen by fishermen. During those swims he debated on continuing on his own. The shark-born had no idea he had survived. It had been many months since the encounter that left him stranded on the beach. It was unlikely the monster of a fish had remained in the area. Yet Hanzo kept returning to he outskirts of the bay as he recalled the earnestness within Jesse’s eyes and the sincerity within the human’s thoughts. The possessive nature had shone through as expected, still Jesse had honored his promises. 

Hanzo was free of that cage.

But he was alone. 

To think he had started to equate Jesse and his friends as a substitute family. Hanzo actually cared about the humans. To be this fond of his captors was insulting. Jesse had given him time to heal. Kept the aggressively curious bipeds at bay. Had even made good on his promise to release Hanzo. But that did not change the long period of time kept within glass walls against his wishes. Hanzo had every right to leave this dot of shoreline and never look back. Still he lingered. The thought of traveling alone only made Hanzo’s heart ache for his family even more.

The people of the ocean were not solitary creatures. They were highly social. On par with the people of the land. It was one trait they shared with the humans. Why they spoke with the ancient mariners in the first place. Until the people of the ocean were no longer seen as people. It remained that way through to present. Jesse proved an exception. A human who tried to give Hanzo the same decency as if to another human. The man’s entire family by extension. Perhaps it was not completely insane to find a fondness for those humans. And if there was a group who could treat the people of the ocean as the sentient beings they were, perhaps there was hope that others could as well. 

It did not mean Hanzo could wait indefinitely for Jesse to find a sailing vessel. This storm would delay any surface dweller. With the defined waiting period at an end, Hanzo left his refuge to brave the dwindling storm surge. The shark-born were still out there harassing his family. Genji would try to protect them. That’s what family did. But Genji had been injured in that fight as well. They were already such a small family there were few left able to protect. 

Hanzo turned his tail to the beach and departed the human infested waters. With the raging storm dissipating and the waters slowly returning to a gentle lull, Hanzo relished the harmony of the vibrations around him. The expanse of the ocean with the tingling sensations just beyond reach was home. That never ending horizon Jesse continuously spoke of in his adventures. He would miss that human. More than he should. It was better this way.

The storm kept the humans from venturing out onto the rough waters, giving Hanzo the excuse he needed to stop waiting.

***

“Now what?” Jamie stood at the bow peering into the blackness of the natural world. No moon. No excessive lights. Just endless darkness. There was no way Jesse would find Hanzo. He could only hope Hanzo found him. “Did he give you any directions?”

“No. He didn’t. He kept his family as secret as possible.” Jesse gripped the railing beside his friend, desperately hoping for a miracle. 

The women had found their raincoats to join the search from the edge of the decks. Only Reinhardt remained in the wheelhouse to keep the boat from drifting or worse, wrecking on the rocks. Mei tugged her cap low against the wind. “Do you think he’d hear us? If we call?”

Jesse could only shrug. “Don’t think sound would travel well.”

“You know what I mean,” Mei added sternly. Right. She knew about the strange telepathy. Jesse had tried to keep it secret that he now no longer knew who actually knew.

“I have been. But if we all called…” Jesse shrugged. “Perhaps it would be loud enough. And yelling couldn’t hurt either.” No one asked details. That could come later. For now the night filled with five voices calling out Hanzo’s name. The mental vibrations accompanying them should be enough to cover a vast distance. It felt like hours of searching. Jesse did not want to call a stop because he had a promise to keep. But the energy of his friends was dwindling. They were going to have to call it a night and give up after all.

“Blimey! Did ya see that!” Jamie cried from the port side.

Sombra leaned over the rail. “See what?

“Over here! What is it?” Brigette waved them over to the starboard side. 

Instead of joining them, Jesse grabbed one of the radios mounted on the wall and called up to Reinhardt. “Stop the engines. He might have found us.” The small crew of friends kept chasing whatever had grabbed their attention. Calls of strange blueish light flickering beneath the waves made Jesse grin. There was only one creature he knew of that had coloring like that. Thoughts of algae or plankton filled the air. Jesse ignored them and raced to the stern where the diving platform was. There he knelt with his hand in the water, mentally calling for Hanzo. Trying to explain the delay and that they were ready. 

The dark trouble waters hid everything below the surface. A cool velvety appendage brushed against Jesse’s hand. Only sheer force of will kept the hand submerged. Then it latched on and slowly the bioluminescence peppered across the merman’s skin, producing a gentle blue glow beneath the rippled waves. “Sorry I’m late. Storm and all.” Around him his friends were cooing over how astonishing Hanzo looked. Only after months of living with the magnificent creature could Jesse interpret the scowl upon the humanoid face. Accompanied with the accusations filled in the rest. “Well, I can’t very well drive this boat by myself. You know Jamie, Olivia and Mei. The other one is Brigette and the big guy who will go crazy on meeting you is Reinhardt. You’ll eventually like him. Yeah he is loud. But means well. So… which way?” Hanzo paused and focused. His free arm motioned in the general vicinity of the west. The open ocean. “West it is. There will always be someone in the wheelhouse if we need to change directions. And thanks. For waiting.”

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on tumblr at slytherinladyknight  
> https://slytherinladyknight.tumblr.com


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